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HISTORICAL. - 5" 




REMINISCENCES 



OF 



THE WAR; 



OR INCIDENTS WHICH TRANSPIRED 



IN AND ABOUT CHAMBERSBURG, 



DURING THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



BY J. HOKE. 




CHAMBERSBURG, PA: 
M. A. FOLTZ, PRINTER AND PUBLISHER. 

1884. 



U^^^ 






KEMINISCENCES OF THE WAE," 



Written expressly for Public Opinion, by J. Hoke, Esq., appeared in that 

journal from Aveek to week until completed, commencing witli the 

issue of January 12, 1884. The chapters are thus gathered 

and given in book form for greater convenience and 

permanency, and the work may be had 

of the Publisher, M. A. Foltz. 



Copyrighted by 
M . A . F O 1. T Z , 

1884. 



INTRODUCTION. 



No town in the Northern States is more inseparably interwoven with the tlirilling 
events of the late war, than Chambersburg. Gettysburg was made more widely 
memorable by the great and decisive battle fought there, but Chambersburg was the 
great centre of great events on our Southern border, from the advent of General 
Patterson's army early in 1861, until the vandal horde of McCausland left the town in 
ashes, in 1864. The insurgents had possession of Chambersburg in Stuart's raid in 
1862 ; in Lee's occupation in 1863, when on his march to the death-blow to the Confed- 
eracy at Gettysburg, and in McCausland's raid in 1864, when Southern vengeance was 
glutted by the destruction of the most important and valuable portions of the town. 
Lee held his councils of war in the grove on the eastern outskirts of Chambersburg, 
for several days, and finally decided to cross the South Mountain aud accept the shock 
of battle on the direct line for Baltimore and the National Capital. And not only did 
the first trump of war sound in Chambersburg when the three months' troops crossed 
the Potomac, under Patterson in the Spring of 1861, but each year thereafter, until 
peace came at Appomattox ia 1865, the columns of "emergency men" and of militia 
called out after each invasion, made Chambersburg their objective point and liberally 
enjoyed the proffered or enforced hospitality of the people of the "Green Spot." 

It was in Chambersburg that John Brown, then known only as "Dr. Smith," the 
prospector of Maryland ores, planned his mad raid on Harper's Ferry and fought the 
first skirmish of the war two years before the divided sections could realize that war 
was upon them, and the blackened walls and broken columns and withered shades 
which told of Chambersburg's desolation in 1864, were measurably the sequel of the 
innocent hospitality given to the unknown John Brown five years before. There is, 
therefore, much of the thrilling romance of the war's history that centres in and about 
Chambersburg, and it is unfortunate that it has not been preserved by some competent 
historian. The unwritten chapters of the war which relate to Chambersburg, would 
make a volume of surpassing interest, and add much to the as yet imperfect history of 
the greatest war of modern times. With the exception of a few unpretentious scraps 
of history about the Lee invasion and the burning of Chambersburg, there has been 
nothing written in any way calculated to preserve in history the trials and sacrifices 
of the faithful border people. 



I am glad to preface the eflTort of Mr. Hoke to record some of the most important 
episodes of the eventful four years of civil war in Chambersburg. He was one of the 
most loyal of loyal citizens, and he witnessed every invasion of the town by the enemy. 
A close observer, a methodical recorder of events as they transpired, and possessing 
uncommon clearness of memory as to details, he is peculiarly fitted to recall into 
permanent history the interesting records which merit preservation. His chapters 
cover much unknown history pertaining to two of the great battles of the war — 
Antietam and Gettysburg — and preserve occurrences which are of absorbing interest 
to the descendents of the now rapidly lapsing actors in the dark days of the rebellion. 
All this work has been performed by Mr. Hoke with less pretension as a historical 
writer than as a conscientious delineator of the truth of history, and it will not only 
greatly entertain and instruct the people of the Cumberland Valley, but it will preserve 
for the future historian of the war, many links in the chain of the greatest conflict of 
man for man. a. k. m. 



NOTE BY THE AUTHOR. 



When entering upon the preparation of these Reminiscences of the War, I 
was unacquainted with the fact that the files of the Valley Spirit and Franklin 
Repository ^ which have been kindly placed in my hands by the editors and proprietors 
of those papers, contained such full and accurate statenaents of the events which 
transpired during the eventful period of the great War of the Rebellion. To one 
unacquainted with those events from personal observation, the accounts therein given 
would be but fragmentary ; but to one who saw them and passed through them, they 
afford ample data for a truthful and consecutive history. 

Then I supposed, too, that my own record, written at the time the events narrated 
occurred, had been destroyed in the burning of our town in July, 1864. That record 
has been found carefully stored away with other books and papers, and it has proven 
of incalculable advantage to me. 

I am also indebted to others for valuable papers, narrating events known in their 
details only to themselves. The papers furnished by T. M. Mahon, Esq., John A. 
Seiders, Esq., and J. W. Douglass, Esq., are notable examples. Mr. Douglass is one 
of the few living persons who saw and read General Early's order for the ransom of 
our town, and in default of its ransom, its destruction. The importance of placing 
such facts upon permanent record for the use of after eenerations and historians cannot 
be over-estimated.. 

To Col. A. K. McClure for a copy of Annals of the War, I am also under 
obligations. In the statements written by General Longstreet and other participants 
in the great struggle at Gettysburg, and in the dates and facts they have given in 
relation to the previous movements and purposes of their respective commands, I have 
derived valuable assistance. 

I have been particularly careful to give exact and correct dates to the events 
narrated, and I can with the utmost confidence assure the reader of their correctness. 
In the main the data furnished me by so many persons, and gathered from so many 
sources, when carefully compared, entirely harmonized, except in one case alone, and 
upon that fact I have the most indubitable evidence in favor of the date I have given. 

Chamhersburg , Jan. 22d, 1884. J. Hoke. 



REMIKISCEICES OF THE WAR. 



CHAPTER I. 



Commencement of the "War, and Marching of Troops from 

Chambersburg. 



In the preparation of these reminiscen- 
ces of events which occurred in and about 
Chambersburg during the four years of 
the war of the rebellion, I am confronted 
by several difficulties, whicli may be stated 
as follows : In the destruction of our town 
by the torch of the invaders, July 30th, 
186i, nearly all the records kept by our 
citizens were destroyed. My cash books 
of those days in which I noted principal 
events, were all, as I supposed, destroyed. 
Recently, however, I found among some 
books and papers boxed up and stored 
away, one of those books, containing dates 
of important events. This book begins 
with May, 18G2, and prior to that date I 
am dependant for information furnished 
by others, as well as to files of the Valley 
Spirit and Franklin Repositorij , kindly 
placed at my disposal by the editors and 
proprietors of those papers, for which I 
hereby express my thanks. The files of 
these papers, however, were all burnt in 
the great calamity of July 30th, 1864, and 
in the replacement of the same from their 
subscribers, they were unable to procure 
every number. Important links, there- 
fore, are here and there wanting. Then, 
for convenience of narration, and to give 
authenticity to the facts stated, 1 write 
under my own signature, and as an eye 
witness of many of the incidents which I 
shall relate. This, I am aware, exposes 
me to the charge of egotism or a desire for 
notoriety. While disclaiming this, I shall 
in a series of articles, place upon record a 
simple statement of facts, many of which 
have hitherto never been published. This 
I do as a modest contribution to the annals 
of that eventful period when the destiny 
of our government seemed to hang in the 
balance, and when our valley was the 
theatre of the most stirring events which 



are likely ever to occur in the life of a 
generation. 

In the early morning of April 12tb, 
1861, the telegraph announced that Fort 
Sumpter had beeniired upon and the war 
commenced. The rebel batteries opened 
fire precisely at 27 minutes past 4 o'clock. 
Despatch after despatch was placed upon 
the bulletin board and printed in extras 
by our papers. These despatches read 
thus: "The War Commenced; Fort 
Sumpter Fired on," "Fort Sumpter Makes 
a Vigorous Reply." "Fort Sumpter in 
flames. " "The Fire Still Raging, and the 
Surrender of the Fort Inevitable." On 
the following day the announcement was 
made that Maj. Anderson, after a gallant 
resistance, had surrendered, and the rebel 
flag waved over the Fort. On the follow- 
ing day, April the 14th, President Lincoln 
issued his proclamation calling for 75,000 
troops to serve for three mouths. 

With the announcement of the com- 
mencement of hostilities, intense excite- 
ment seized upon all classes of people. 
Tlie stars and stripes were run up upon 
the public buildings, bank, hotels, and 
many private dwellings. A great demand 
set in for material to make flags, and red, 
white and blue flannels, delaines and mus- 
lins could scarcely be supplied in suflficient 
amount to meet the demand. Badges, 
shields and other devices containing the 
national colors, met with ready sale, and 
almost every person bore upon liim some 
token of love for the Union. Volunteering 
for the defense of the government, in 
response to the call of the President, went 
on vigorously and many enrolled them- 
selve for service. 

On the evening of Wednesday, 'April 
17th, a public meeting was held in the 
Court House to take into consideration 



8 



Reminiscences of the War 



such matters as might be necessary to 
meet the exigencies of the times, Hon. 
Wilson Reilly was called to the chair, and 
Mr. B. B. Henshey was appointed Secre- 
tary. Mr. Reilly on taking the chair, 
made an eloquent and patriotic speech, in 
which he declared his readiness to support 
the Government by every means in his 
power, and his willingnei^s to shoulder a 
musket if needs be to save the flag of his 
country from dishonor. Mr. Reilly was 
followed by brilliant and thrilling address- 
es by Messrs. Brewer, Sharpe, Douglas, 
Rowe, McCauley, Stewart and Cook. The 
following committees were then appointed 
to prepare for the departure of the soldiers 
who were soon to march from our midst. 

On General Regulations : D. W. Rowe, 
Samuel Shryock and W. C. Eyster. 

Committee on Contributions : J. Allison 
Eyster, J. W. Douglas and James Nill. 

Committee to supply Pocket Bibles to 
the soldiers : Ex-Sheriff Brown, I. H. 
McCauley and A. N. Raukin, 

In response to the call of this Committee 
on Contributions several thousand dollars 
were pledged by our citizens for the sup- 
port of the families* of the departing 
soldiers, if needed. 

On Thursday, April 18th, but five days 
after the fall of Fort Sumpter, a pole 120 
feet high was raised in the centre of the 
Diamond. As soon as the pole was raised, 
the stars and stripes were run up upon it. 
when a number of ladies standing upon 
the balcony in front of the Franklin hotel, 
which stood where the Central Presbyte- 
rian church now stands, sang with thrill- 
ing effect the Star Spangled Banner. 
After this followed patriotic speeches by 
Messrs. Reilly, Stumbaugh, McClure, 
Brewer, Everett, Stenger and Welsh. 
When the flag of our country was run up 
to the top of the pole, a citizen of the town , 
James H. Bratton, now dead, standing by 
my side, was so overcome by his patriot- 
ic feelings, as to burst into tears. That 
same evening I remarked to a number of 
persons, that if Virginia adopted the ordi- 
nance of secession, the seat of war would 
be right along our border; and being in 
the great Cumberland Valley, which ex- 
tended away down through Maryland 
and Virginia into Tennessee, armies of 
both the two contending parties would 
doubtless pass through our town, and one 
of the possihi ities was that the rebel flag 
might some day flout from that pole. My 
remark was considered wild and inipoi^si- 
ble. but altliounh no bated secesision flag 
ever floated from that pole, sixty tiiousand 
rebel troops, with many banners, passed 
under its shadow, and it was at last cut 
down by Gen. Iinboden's Cavalry, which 
constituted the rear of Lee s army, and 
were the last to pass through the town on 



the way to Gettysburg. The only rebel 
flag that was raised in town, was the regi- 
mental flag of a Mississippi regiment, 
which was hung out from the cupola of 
the Court House, the Colonel of that regi- 
ment being made Provost Marshal with 
headquarters in the Court House. 

On the evening of the day of the pole 
raising, a public meeting was held in the 
Court House for the purpose of doing 
honor to the Chambers Artillery, wliich 
was to leave the next morning for Harris- 
burg. Hon. George Chambers was made 
president, and Hon. James Nill and D. K. 
Wunderlick, vice presidents. The vener- 
able president, on taking the chair, deliv- 
ered an address of nearly an hour's length 
replete with interesting personal reminis- 
cences of the past. He told of the exciting 
scenes of the "Whiskey Insurrection" of 
1794 — of his having seen General Wash- 
ington in our town, when on his way to 
take command of the army sent to sup- 
press the insurrection. He told also of 
the perils of the Indian Wars a few years 
later, and also of the war of 1812. He 
then spoke at length of the causes of the 
then present difiiculties, paid a high tri- 
bute to Capt. Housum and the noble body 
of men he was about to lead forth in the 
defense of the Union, and in thrilling 
language besought Capt. Housum and his 
command to fight valiantly for the glori- 
ous old flag, and die if they must on the 
field of battle with their faces toward the 
foe. After the adoption of some resolu- 
tions offered by Isaac McCauley, Esq., 
the soldiers repaired to Franklin Hall, 
where they partook of a farewell supper 
furnished by the citizens. After the supper 
a sword was presented to Lieut. John 
Doebler through Mr. Brewer, and accepted 
upon the part of Doebler by Mr. Sharpe. 
The day following these interesting oc- 
currences — Friday, April 19th , — was one of 
thrilling events, not only in our own 
town, but elsewhere. In the morning 
train the Chambers Artillery embarked 
for Harrisburg. This company was com- 
posed of about 150 men— several persons 
uniting with it immediately upon the call 
for troops. Its officers were : P. B. 
Housem, Capt., John Doebler, 1st Lieut., 
Matthew Gillan, 2d Lieut., George Miles, 
3d Lieut. Col. F. S. Stumbaugh, long 
associated with military organizations 
here, accompanied this company to Har- 
risi)urg witii the understanding that he 
was to Command the Regiment as soon as 
formed. 
The departure of these men, was one of the 
most affecting and impressive scenes that 
had ever up to that time been witnessed 
in our town. The fathers, mothers, wives, 
children, brothers and sisters, of the vol- 
unteers, together with almost the entire 



Reminiscences of the War. 



population of the towu, were collected at 
the depot to bid farewell to the gallant 
band. Almost every eye was bathed in 
tears. This was a new scene to our citi- 
zens, but they witnessed others like it 
during the war. 

About one o'clock in the afternoon of 
the same day, Ave or six wagonsdrawn by 
two horses each, appeared upon the brow 
of the hill opposite the Reformed church. 
They were driven hurriedly down through 
the town to the depot. They were filled 
with U. S. troops under command of Lieut. 
Jones, and had been quartered at Harper's 
Ferry. Upon the approach of the Virgin- 
ia troops to seize the arsenal and work- 
shops there, Lieut. Jones, unable with his 
small command to defend the place, set 
fire thereto and fled with his men to this 
place and thence by rail to the barracks at 
Carlise. Before applying the torch , Lieut. 
Jones blew up the arsenals and shops, 
destroying about 15,000 stand of arms. 
That part of the machinery remaining 
uninjured, was taken by the rebels down 
8outh and used to manufacture arms to 
destroy the Union. The arrival of these 
troops increased the excitement in the 
town, and we were made to feel that the 
seat of war was coming uncomfortably 
near. 

Upon the evening of this day, word was 
received by telegraph of the riot in Balti- 
more and the massacre of the Massachu- 
setts soldiers. Soon came the news of the 
destruction of the bridges along the 
Northern Central and Philadelphia, Wil- 
mington and Baltimore railroads, and the 
stoppage of travel by those routes. Hun- 
dreds of Northern people sojourning in 
the South, and Southern people in the 
North, unable to pass to their respective 
destinations, availed themselves of the 
Franklin and Cumberland Valley rail- 
roads, and for a time travel was exceed- 
ingly brisk along this line. Among the 
distinguished persons who passed through 
our town at that time, was Hon. Caleb 
Cushing, of Massachusetts. He was in 
Washington, and had no other way to 
return home. One of our citizens, Mr. H. 
E. Hoke, having occasion to take a sewing 
machine to Greencastle to deliver to a 
person who had purchased it, rode 'n the 
baggage car one of those days. In this 
car were two men whose features were 
distinctively Southern. They each carried 
a Sharpe's rifle and had in charge several 
large chests which they stood by and 
guarded with great care. Whether these 



chests contained money or, what the 
South needed then more than money, 
percussion caps, he did not know. There 
were no military regulations then made to 
see after such things. 

About that time Capt. Charles Camj)- 
bell received a commission from the Gov- 
ernor to recruit an Artillery company. He 
quartered his men in Franklin Hail, and 
had his cannon in front of it, within a 
short distance of our store, where he drill- 
ed his men. 

A rifle company, under command of 
Capt. John S. Eyster, was about this time 
rapidly recruited. Also a large German 
company was organized and tendered their 
services to the Governor. A company of 
Home Guards was also organized, and 
their services tendered to the Governor to 
march if needed. On Sabbath, April 28d, 
a fine body of men, some sixty in number, 
under command of Capt. Walker, from 
Fannettsburg, arrived in town and were 
quartered in the Court House. While 
passing through Strasburg, a number of 
persons joined them, and others from the 
Valley were yet expected to swell their 
number. In a few days thereafter the fol- 
lowing companies were encamped upon 
the Fair Grounds upon the hill along the 
Pittsburg pike, west of town. This en- 
campment was called ''Camp Irvin." 
Capt. Walker's company from Fannetts- 
burg, Capt. Dixon's company from St. 
Thomas, Capt. Eyster's company from 
Chambersburg, two companies from Ful- 
ton county, and Capt. Campbell's company 
of Artillery. The companies of Captains 
Dixon and Eyster afterwards became 
incorporated into the Pennsylvania Re- 
serves. Capt. Campbell's Artillery also 
went into active service. As to what was 
done with the company of Capt. Walker 
and the two Fulton county companies, 1 
am unable to say. The Fair Grounds 
after this became the rendezvous for vari- 
ous companies of recruits. It is said that 
one time during the war a company of 
recruits was encamped there. The officer 
in command had drilled the men up to 
that point where they learned the signifi- 
cance of "the Long Roll." And in order 
to test the promptness of his command in 
responding to this alarm and preparing 
for battle, he directed it to be sounded one 
night at midnight. The whole command 
upon awaking out of sleep and hearing 
this signal tor battle, and supposing that 
the rebels were upon them, fled in every 
direction and the majority never returned. 



lO 



Reminisce7ices of the War. 



CHAPTER II. 



The Roll of Honor ; or the Names of those who First Flew to the 
Rescue of their Imperilled Country froji Franklin County. 



The Chambers Artillery, after arriving 
at Camp Curtin, near Harrisburg, was 
divided into two companies, Lieut. Doebler 
taking command of the second company 
formed. These two companies, with one 
other, composed mostly of men from 
Greencastle and St. Thomas and under 
command of J. G. Elder, were attached to 
the Second Regiment Pennsylvania Vol- 
unteers. F. S. Stumbaugh, Esq., of our 
town, was made Colonel of this regiment; 

Irwin, of , Lieut. Colonel ; Jas. 

S. Given, of West Chester, Major; Isaac 
S. Waterburry, of Harrisburg, Ad'jt. 
General; D. Watson Rowe, Serg't. Major; 
Isadore A. Stumbaugh, Quarter Master 
Serg't; John A. King, M. D., Acting 
Asst. Surgeon. 

The names and residences of the persons 
composing these three companies, are as 
follows : 

list of CO. A, 2nd regt. penna. vol- 

UNTEERS. 

Capt., Peter R. Housum, ChambersburK. 
1st. Lieut., George Stitzell, 
'iiid Lieut., K. Sliannon Taylor " 
1st Sergt. Thomas G. Cochran " 
2ncl Sergt., Sam'l McDowell, 
3d Sergt. Ailara Smith, " 

4th Sergt., Bruce Lambert, 
1st Corporal, Allison McDowell," 
2nd " Thomas Myers, '" 
3d " John F. Snyder, " 

4th '• Jno. F. Pensinger, " 

Privates— C7)rtm6e?-s&"r/. Ernest Causler. 
Justina McGuigai>. Allison Whitstone. 

Edgar D. Washabaugh 

Janus E. Cook. 

Franklin Yeager. 

John A. Seiders. 

Samuel A. Stouffer. 

James Aughinbaugh. 

Frank Fortescue. 

Harry Fortescue. 

Lewis Fisher. 

Edward Kline. 

Frederick Batner. 

John F. Peitfer. 



Josephus Senseny. 
Alexander Flack. 
John F. Metz. 
George S. Houser. 
James C. Sample. 
R. B. Fisher. 
Jacob W. Miles. 
John C. Gerbic. 
Thomas W. Merklein. 
Robert F. McCurdy. 
Frederick Shinelield. 
Richard Hardin. 
John VV. Jones. 
John C. HuUinger. 
John King. 
Geo. J. Ludwig. 
Jacob Lutz. 
Geo. S. Eyster. 
Abraham A. Huber. 
David W. Newman. 
Peter Danner. 
James Shumau. 
Lewis Monatli. 
Fancis Donovan. 
Ephralm Finefrock. 
George Goctman. 
Peter Myers. 
Edmund Ferry. 
Thomas Durborow. 
Wm. Harmony. 



GreenviUagc. 
John GalT. 

Franklin D. Ditzlear. 
Daniel Shatzler. 
David AVallace. 

New Franklin. 
Henry Hannagan. 

Wayneshoro\ 
John E. Walker. 
John N. Hullinger. 

Fayetteville. 
Sylvester Weldy. 
Walter B. Crawford. 
Jeremiah Burkliolder. 



Caledonia Iron Works. 
Alexander J. Stevens. 

Newville. 
Wm. B. Over. 
Jolin B, Johnston. 
Wm. D. Cobaugh. 
John P. Wagner. 



James C. Eckenrode. 
Jonas B. Huntsberger. 

Mc Connellsbxirg. 

David Hoke. 

Ed. E. Fairweather. 

John H. Neely. 



LIST OF CO. B, 2nd REGT. PENNA. VOL- 
UNTEERS. 

Captain, John Doebler, Chambersburg. 

1st Lieut., George Miles, " 

2nd " Geo. W. Welsh, " 

1st Sergt., Benjamin Rhodes, " 

2nd " Peter Ackerman, " 

3d " Joseph Thomas, " 

4th •' George Cook, " 

1st Corpl., Henry Melvin, " 

2nd " Alexander C. Landis, " 

3d " Henry McCauley, Shippensburg. 

4th " Porter J. Brown, Chambersburg. 



Privates— C/ia»;i6e?-s6"f/. 

Hamilton Spence. 

Theophilus Stratton. 

James Ridgley. 

Jeremiah Smith. 

Peter Dorty. 

John Elser. 

Samuel K. Snively. 

Franklin Gipe. 

Michael Harmony. 

Edward Monath. 

Wm. Fentiman. 

Emanuel H. Forney. 

Samuel Uglow. 

James Borland. 

Isaac S. Noel. 
(Honorably discharged) 

Charles Jone.9. 

1. A. Stumbaugh. 
(1 ransferred to Co 1 ' s . 
Staff.) 

John Hicks. 

John H. Frederick. 

Hugh Brotherton. 

Dennis Riley. 

John J. Hershberger. 

Jacob Jones. 

Wm. Henneberger. 

Robert Smith. 

Wm. Eaker. 

John King. 

Charles Shanebrook. 

Frank Kline. 

Geo. W. Baker. 

Robert W. Moore. 

Jacob W. Smith. 

James McGeehan. 

John Fisher. 

P. A. J. Snider. 

Harrison Hutton. 

Adolphus McGuigan 

John S. White. 

Wm. T. Smith. 

Peter Snider. 

John Stoner. 



John W. Bryson. 
Wm. H. Pence. 
John Pence. 
Geo. Seabrooks. 

Newville. 
Samuel Hardy. 
Isaac Hardy. 

Scotland. 
Lanson Coleman. 

Greenwood. 
Jeremiah Perrl. 



Quincy, 3 
^Harrison Seabrooks. 



Fayetteville. 
Wm. T, Hazlett. 
Merccrshurg. 
Martin Louman. 
George W. Daley. 
David L. Hoffman. 

Loudon. 
Alexander McCurdy. 

McConnellsburg . 
Alexander Prosser. 
Samuel Shoemaker. 

Strasburg. 
Walker Shearer. 
Springville Lancaster co 
J. H. Martin. 

Fairvieiv township , York 
conniy. 

Peter Corden. 

Edgar Wolf. 
(Honorably discharged) 

Alexandria, Hu n t ing- 
don county. 
Edgar G. McLaughlin. 

New York. 
Julius C. Ladd. 
, Poland. 

John Swuninski. 



Reminiscences of the War. 



II 



LIST OF CO. C, 2nd REGT. PENNA. VOL 
UNTEERS. 

Captain, J. G. Elder, St. Thomas. 

1st Lieut., J. B. Strickler, Green?astle. 

'2nil " Jacob West, St. Thomas. 

^^ M. Sergt., T. J. Keilly, Greeneu.stle. 

1st " W. B. Shirk, 

2nd " G. H. Miller, 

;{d " Jacob Snyder, Loudon. 

4th " G. A. Pool, Greencastle. 

1st Corpl., T. J. Koonse. " 

2nd " Christian Burkholder, Loudon. 

;5d " Thomas Hill, St. Tliomas. 

4th " David C. Shatter, Greencastle. 



Privates— Greencastle. 
Edwin P. Byers. 
Geo. Benee." 
Charles Byers. 
Cor. Barnhisel. 
John B. Bj'ers. 
VVm. Byers. 
Geo. Bush. 
James B. Comins. 
Emanuel Carpenter. 
James Gatl'. 
David Hess, 
John F. Koonse. 
John H. IvOgue. 
Geo. F. Missavey. 
John A. Marshal. 
Jessie K. Norris. 
Miller H. Pensinger. 
Samuel H. Prather. 
John E. Pool. 
John G. Rowe. 
Abraham H. Shealy. 
Emanuel F. Shatzer. 
Wm. Shorts. 
David Tracy. 
Jacob Watson. 
Joseph Wlldern. 
Wm. A. Weyant. 
Wm. A. Wildern. 
Leander B. Zook. 
Waynesboro'. 
Joel Hattly. 
Jacob H. Funk. 
Cyrus Gossert. 
Henry Grabill. 
John Mickle. 
David Morehead. 
St. Thomas. 
Samuel Antrim. 



.lacol) Dotrich. 
John Ferry. 
Wm. A. Hosier. 
Jeremiah Martin. 
Samuel Bennecker. 
Geo. Sulavan. 
Alexander Speer. 
Wm. H. Snow. 
George Vorler. 

Marion. 
(ieorge Butts. 
John H. Stickel. 

I 'pton. 
Tliomas Dayley. 
John Doubleman. 
Josenh Stoner. 

Mercersbvry. 

David E. Haya. 
Jolin S. King. 
John Shatzer. 

Chamber sburg. 
Christian Miller. 

Cashtoicn. 
Simon Rupert. 

Lo^ldon. 
.TohnH. linger. 
.James McElrea. 
Henry M. Spidle. 
Geltysbury. 
Wm. G. Little. 
Geo. Little. 

Leitersburg, Md. 
Martin Morgan. 
Wm. A. Cassatt. 



These lists are all certified to by the re- 
spective captains. It will be seen that in 
this first rush to arms, Franklin county 
furnished in these three companies alone, 
including regimental officers, 205 men. 
Of these, 112 were from Chambersburg. 
It will be recollected, too, that several 
other companies in process of forming, 
and numbering about 60 men each, offer- 
ed their services to the Governor, and 
could not at that time be accepted. Many 
of these men, when their three months' 
enlistment expired, re-entered the service; 
and several of them sealed their devotion 
to their country by laying down their lives 
upon the field of battle. Prominent 
among those who fell is Col. Peter B. 
Housum. One of our excellent citizens 
and business men, he was loved and re- 
spected by all. Upon the bloody field of 
Stone River he poured out his life blood 
that the government he loved so well 



might live. Let bis memory ever be held 
in grateful remembrance by the people. 
Then there were others among those who 
first flew to the rescue of their country in 
her hour of peril, and died upon the field, 
or in the hospital, besides Col. Housum, 
who deserve to be gratefully remembered, 
but I cannot recall chem, nor tell of their 
deeds of noble daring and heroism. Nor 
is our gratitude due to those only who fell 
in battle or hospital. Some were wound- 
ed and maimed for life. Others contracted 
diseases which rendered their after-life 
unpleasant and painful. The cases of Col. 
Elder and Sergeant Thomas G. Cochran 
are familiar to all. 

It will be recollected that at a meetinsr 
of citizens of Chambersburg, held in the 
Court House, on the evening of April 17th, 
to take into consideration the preparations 
necessary for the comfort and welfare of 
our departing volunteers, a committee 
was appointed to supply each soldier with 
a copy of the Scriptures. This committee 
taking no action in this matter, the Mana- 
gers of the Franklin County Bible Society 
directed the writer, as their Treasurer and 
Librarian, to send to these men a copy 
each of the New Testament. Rev. W. B. 
Raber, then a resident pastor at York, 
near which these men were encamped, 
and who was personally known.by nearly 
all of the Franklin county men, was 
selected to present these Testaments. 
The following is a copy of the proceedings 
in connection with these presentations. 
The originals, with every other vestige 
connected with this affair, were destroyed 
with the Society's library and records in 
the great calamity of July 30th, 1864. For 
this record I am indebted to the Valley 
Spirit., in whose issue of May 15th, 1861, 
it is printed. 

Camp Scott, i 

Headquarters 2d Regt., Peuna.Vols., \ 

York, Pa., May 2d, 1861. S 

On Thursday morning. May 2d, 1861, 
the volunteers of Franklin county, quar- 
tered at Camp Scott, after morning drill, 
were assembled together in companies at 
the request of Col. F. S. Stumbaugh, for 
the purpose of making some suitable 
acknowledgement of their appreciation of 
the care and generosity of the Franklin 
County Bible Society, in presenting each 
one of the soldiers from Franklin county 
with a copy of the New Testament. 

Companies A, B and C were formed in 
a triangle, the officers in the centre. Col. 
F. S. Stumbaugh stated the object of the 
meeting in some appropriate remarks. 
Capt. J. G. Elder, of company C, was 
elected President, and Capt. P. B. Hous- 
um, of company A, and D. Watson Rowe, 
were chosen Secretaries. 



12 



Remmiscences of the War. 



The following resolutions were offered 
by Mr. Rowe, and were unanimously 
adopted : 

Whereas, The Franklin County Bible 
Society has presented each one of the Vol- 
unteers of Franklin county with a copy of 
the New Testament ; and 

Whereas, We acknowledge the word 
of God contained therein as the only will 
to direct us how we may honor and serve 
our Maker, and fulfil our whole duty as 
soldiers, citizens and men ; and find ih its 
teachings the preparation for death as 
well as the rule of life, and therefore hold 
it precious above all things : Therefore, 

Resolved^ That we return our warmest 
thanks to the Franklin County Bible So- 
ciety for their tender care of our spiritual 
welfare and comfort; and that as our best 
return to the Society, we will regularly 
and studiously ponder the words of life 
and wisdom which they have placed in 
our hands. 

Resolved^ That a copy of these resolu- 
tions be furnished by the Col. of our Kegi- 
meut to the Franklin County Bible Society, 
with the request that they be published 
in all the County Papers. 

JAMES G. ELDER, 

P. B. HOUSUM, President. 

D. W. RowE, 

Secretaries. 

In accordance with the request contain- 
ed in this last resolution. Col. Stumbaugh 
transmitted a copy of the action taken, 
with the following letter: 

To J. Hoke and others. Committee of the 
Franklin County Bible Society : 
Respected Sirs : The package con- 
taining 300 copies of the New Testament 



reached Camp Scott on Tuesday evening 
of last week, and on Wednesday morning, 
I proceeded, in pursuance with the prom- 
ise previously made, to distribute them 
among the members of the companies 
from Franklin county, under my com- 
mand, in 2d Regiment Penn'a Volunteers, 
viz : (Companies A, B and C. I wish you 
could have been present to see how every 
countenance beamed with joy on the 
reception of the precious book. 

I herewith enclose you a list of the 
recipients of your generosity, and also a 
Preamble and Resolutions expressive of 
the thanks of the companies, which were 
unanimously adopted. It affords me 
pleasure to add that I notice the men in 
clusters, whenever they have a leisure 
moment, either reading or listening to the 
blessed Scriptures being read by some one 
of their number. 

I have no doubt it will exert a powerful 
influence for good over the conduct of the 
men, and make them feel ever grateful for 
the kindness of the Franklin County 
Bible Society. Allow me to tender to 
you, and through you to the members of 
the Franklin County Bible Society, my 
earnest, heartfelt thanks, well knowing 
that the precious gift that you have 
bestowed, will not only teach men to ren- 
der to God the things that are God's, but 
also stimulate them to sustain their coun- 
try's honor and glory. In conclusion, let 
me ask the prayers of the members of 
your Society for myself and command at 
all times and under all circumstances. 

I am. Dear Sirs, your ob't servant, 
F. S. Stumbaugh. 



CHAPTER III. 



Camp Sltfer. 



A glance at the map of the United 
States will demonstrate that in a conflict 
between the Northern and Southern 
States of the Union, the great valley 
extending from the Susquehanna through 
the States of Maryland and Virginia, 
and into the State of Tennessee, 
would be the great thoroughfare of the 
contending armies. That such was the 
case during the war ot the rebellion, and 
that it was the theatre of important events, 
are well known to all familiar with that 
eventful period. 



From the time of the destruction of the 
arsenals and workshops at Harper's Ferry, 
April 19th, to some time in June follow- 
ing, that place was occupied by about four 
thousand Virginia troops. The presence 
of this formidable force there, and the fact 
that large bodies of soldiers from all parts 
of the South were hurrying northward 
into Virginia, the ultimate destination of 
whom was not known, made the concen- 
tration of a considerable force somewhere 
in this valley, and near the Potomac, a 
necessity. The presence of a force here 



Reminiscences of the IVar. 



would also be necessary in order to be pre- 
pared for an aggressive movement south 
of the Potomac, if such a movement 
should be determined on. Chambersburg, 
because of its location in the valley, and 
because of its excellent railroad facilities 
and the loyalty of its people, was naturally 
chosen as the place for this gathering. 
Accordingly some time near the close of 
April — probably the 25th or 2Gth — two reg- 
iments, the 7th Penna. Volunteers, under 
Vjo\. AVilliam H. Irwin, and the Sth, 
under Col. A. H. Emley, came to our 
place. These troops were the first to 
reach our town, and they constituted the 
nucleus of Gen. Patterson's Army. 
These regiments came by the Cumberland 
Valley railroad, and reached town about 
10 o'clock at night. They marched from 
the depot up Second street to Mari^et, 
down Market through the Diamond, and 
out to the old Fair Ground on the liill 
west of town. This was the first time 
many of our citizens had seen so large a 
body of soldiers, and their arrival created 
great excitement and great interest. 

A day or two after the arrival of these 
two regiments, they were removed from 
the Fair Ground to a field east of the town 
belonging to Mr. Eberly. This place 
was much better adapted for the purpose of 
an encampment than the one they first 
occupied. Water of the best kind and in 
abundance was near at hand. This camp 
was called "Camp Slifer," after tlie then 
Secretary of the Commonwealth. Wood- 
en buildings were hastily erected for the 
accommodation of the soldiers, but tents 
were needed for the quarters of the officers. 
The Government was unable for a while 
to furnish these because of its unprepared- 
ness for the sudden and unexpected 
emergency. A dispatch was received by 
the writer from Col. A. K. ISicClure, at 
Harrisburg, by direction of Gov. Curtin, 
requesting me to ascertain how many 
Camp Meeting tents I could procure, and 
report the result to Gen. Williams in com- 
mand of Camp Slifer. I reported to the 
General that 1 could get some eight or ten, 
but some were without covers. General 
Williams directed me to have covers made, 
and the tents put up in the camp at such 
l)laces as his officers should direct. Covers 
were made and the tents put up and used ; 
and when the camp was broken up and 
the advance towards Virginia made, they 
were taken along by the troops. It was 
several years and after much difliculty 
that I succeeded in getting them paid for, 
so as to compensate their owners. 

On Thursday evening, about 9 o'clock. 
May 2d, the lOth Kegiment, commanded 
by Col. S. A. Meredith, reached town and 
were marched out to Camp Slifer. On 
the following night, Friday, May 3d, snow 



four or five inches in depth fell. This 
newly arrived regiment was without ade- 
quate shelter, and on Saturday morning 
t!apt. D. W. Patterson, in command of 
the liancaster City Guards, brought his 
company into town, and they took shelter 
in the lower corridor of the Court House, 
where pi'ovisioiis were taken by some of 
our citizens and these hungry men fed. 

From the 2d day of May until the 28th, 
a period of nearly four weeks, these three 
regiments— the 7th, Sth and 10th Penna. 
Volunteers— were the only troops in 
actual service quartered here. 

To meet the exigencies arising from the 
presence of so large a number of men in 
our community, many of whom had left 
their business and comfortable homes to 
contract disease from exposure and liard- 
sliips, our citizens, male and female, did 
all in their power to provide for the com- 
fort and welfare of the gallant strangers 
in their midst. Houses, hearts and tabhes 
were open to them. People from the sur- 
rounding country came in crowds to visit 
the camp, and many brought evidences of 
their regard in the way of bread, cakes 
and delicacies. 

Some of the arrangements made by our 
citizens for the comfort of the soldiers, es- 
pecially for the sick, are worthy of notice 
and permanent record. I shall detail a 
few here. On Sunday, May 12th, an- 
nouncements were made in the churches 
of this place, that on the following day 
the ladies of the various denominations 
would meet in the Presbyterian Lecture 
Room, to organize an association to supply 
regularly the delicacies needed by the sick 
soldiers in the hospital. The hospital was 
then in one of the large rooms of what 
was known as the Mansion House. It 
was then occupied and owned by the Re- 
formed Church as their printing establish- 
ment. The meeting was held and com- 
mittees appointed — one for each day in 
the week. It fell to the lot of the writer 
to go to the hospital each morning and re- 
ceive from the Surgeon in charge — Dr. B. 
H. Throop, of Scranton, Pa. — a paper in 
whicli he stated the number of patients 
for whom he needed food. These he 
would divide into classes, according to the 
degree of their illness or convalescence, so 
that the proper provison might be made. 
This paper I would deliver to the President 
of the Committee for that day, who, with 
the assistance of her associates, would pre- 
pare what was wanted and send it to the 
hospital. In this way delicacies for the 
weak and suffering, and stronger food for 
the convalescent, were furnished in abun- 
dance. The ladies also set to work to 
prepare bandages, scrape lint, and gather 
old linen for bandaging wounds, all of 
which they delivered to the Surgeon and 



H 



Reminiscences of the War 



bis assistants. The sending of food and 
delicacies was kept up until a General 
Hospital was established inl'ranklin Hall, 
when, to some extent, the wants of the 
soldiers were met then by the better or- 
ganization which there prevailed. Many, 
however, visited the hospitals daily 
throughout the war, and carried to the 
sick and wounded such things as they 
needed, and could not otherwise procure. 
Later on in the war the ladies worked 
vigorously in collecting money, lint, and 
bandages for the Christian and Sanitary 
Commissions. It would be a deserved 
tribute to the humanity and patriotism of 
these noble women to place their names 
upon permanent record here, but I would 
not do injustice to the many, both dead 
and living, whose names have escaped 
my memory, by recording the few I can 
recollect. 

During the months of May and June a 
considerable number of soldiers took sick, 
and several died. A disease called the 
"Spotted P'ever," induced by exposure 
and laying upon the damp ground, broke 
out in Camp Slifer. The blood seemed to 
have left the veins and come out in dark 
blotches or spots upon the surface of the 
body under the skin. In most cases death 
ensued, and few survived two or three 
days after having been stricken with it. 
One of the nurses in the hospital in Frank- 
lin Hall was an Englishman, and had 
been a nurse in the Enlish Army in the 
Crimean war. He said they had a great 
many cases of this terrible disease there, 
and his services in caring for such patients 
was in great demand in Franklin Hall. 
One of the persons who died after a short 
illness from this terrible scourge in Frank- 
lin Hall, was a soldier in Capt. Patterson's 
command from Lancaster City. His 
name, I think, was Pastor. His wife 
came on to see her husband, and we gave 
her a home as our house adjoined the hos- 
pital. Capt. Patterson, the dyiug soldier's 
wife, one of the nurses, and the writer, 
stood by his mattress upon the floor, and 
witnessed his dying struggles. His heart- 
broken wife was led away from the sad 
scene and passed a sleepless night until 
the next day, when Capt. Patterson, lead- 
ing the bereaved widow, and surrounded 
by a military guard from his own com- 
pany, bore the dead body of the soldier to 
the depot, when it was taken to Lancaster 
and interred. Capt. Patterson was a noble 
man. He loved his men, and they loved 
and respected him. His profession, I 
think, was that of a lawyer. He lived in 
Lancaster. The scenes of suffering and 
agony that occurred in Franklin Hall 
Hospital and other hospitals afterwards 
established here, and the touching circum- 
stances connected with some cases, can 



never be told. I may detail a few cases 
further on in these reminiscenses in their 
appropriate places. 

Through the organization of the Frank- 
lin County Bible Society, money was col- 
lected to defray the expenses of coffins 
and shrouds for some soldiers who had 
died, and whose friends desired to take 
their bodies home for burial, but had not 
the means. Through the same organiza- 
tion tracts were distributed in the camps, 
the jail and camps visited, and preaching 
eacli Sabbath by one of the resident minis- 
ters of the town, provided for. 

But the presence of the soldiers among 
us had its bright side as well as its sombre 
aspect. There were many very clever 
persons among them who became favorites 
of our people. And as in almost any as- 
semblage of persons there is one who is 
the acknowledged genius for fun-making, 
so it was with these soldiers. The uni- 
versal genius of Camp Slifer was a little, 
wiry, and glib-tongued fellow who was 
called "Old Abe." Wherever Old Abe 
appeared there was fun and laughter. 
He loved to tell of his bravery, and what 
terrible havoc he would make if ever he 
got into battle with the rebels. It was 
said that his after-conduct did not corre- 
spond with his higji pretensions. 

An officer attended service one Sabbath 
in the German Reformed church, and 
while the pastor. Rev. B. Bausman, was 
preaching, he suddenly, and somewhat 
angrily, disturbed the Reverend gentle- 
man and his listening congregation by 
the woi'ds : "Attention men ! attention ! ! 
Shoulder arms." It was said that he was 
the drill master of the "Awkward Squad," 
and having fallen asleep he imagined he 
was going through the provoking duty of 
drilling raw recruits. It is needless to 
say that the solemnit.y of the occasion was 
somewhat broken, and many were excited 
to laughter, amidst which the mortified 
officer quietly withdrew. 

Occasionally one of the regiments from 
the camp would favor the town by a pa- 
rade through its streets ; and on one occa- 
sion the three regiments marched through 
the Diamond and two or three miles out 
into the country. On May b5th, the 7th 
and 8th Regiments were drawn up into 
several lines in the Diamond, when a 
handsome flag was presented to the 7th 
Regiment, as a mark of regard from the 
ladies of Cbambersburg. The flag was 
presented by W. S. Stenger, Esq., on be- 
half of the ladies, in a neat and able 
address. Lieut. Col. Rippey responded 
on the part of the Regiment in a speech 
of great beauty and force. The affair 
was witnessed by a large concourse of citi- 
zens, and was an occasion of great interest. 

On the same day of this flag presenta- 



Reminiscences of the War 



15 



tion. (iov. Curtin visited the town to re- 
view the troops. He and his suite arrived 
in the 11 o'clock train, and were received 
at the depot by the 7th Regiment and 
conducted to the Franklin Hotel. In the 
afternoon the Governor reviewed the 
troops. They were stationed along Main 
street The 7th, Sth and 10th Regiments 
were present: also five companies from 
"•Camp McAllen," on the Fair Grounds. 
The Governor returned to Harrisburg in 
a special train the same evening. 
Among the companies encamped on the 



Fair Grounds at this time awaiting accept- 
ance by the Governor, was the "McClure 
Rifles," under command of Capt. Wilson 
Reilly, This company was named after 
Hon. A. K. McClure. When the Govern- 
ment refused to accept any more troops 
for a short term, part of this company 
refused to enter the service under these 
forms and returned to their homes, and 
subsequently the balance were dismissed. 
Capt. Campbell's company of Artillery 
also divided upon this condition, and part 
of the command returned home. 



CHAPTER IV. 



General Patterson's Campaign. 



On the morning of Tuesday, May 28th, 
about seven o'clock, our town was thrown 
into a state of excitement by the announce- 
ment that the 2nd and 3d Regiments from 
Camp Scott, near York, were at the depot. 
In a short time a large part of the popu- 
lation of the place gathered there to receive 
them. Companies A and B were nearly 
all from this place, and Co. C. from Green- 
castle, St. Thomas, and other parts of the 
county. A hearty reception was given 
these defenders of their country by friends 
and relatives here, as well as a generous 
welcome to all who com posed that splendid 
body of men. These troops had left Camp 
Scott at i) o'clock on the previous evening. 
The secret of their coming had been known 
to the Railroad employees only. They 
were well equipped in everything neces- 
sary for the march, the camp, and the 
battlefield. After having formed into line, 
the column, led by Colonel Stunibaugh, 
marched up Second Street to Market, and 
down Market and up to the Fair Grounds. 
Shortly after reaching this encampment, 
furloughs were granted to many of the 
soldiers from this and neighboring places, 
and they hurried to their respective homes. 

On Thursday following the day of the 
arrival of the 2nd and 3d Regiments— May 
30th — the ()th Regiment commanded by 
Col. James Nagle and the 23d, commanded 
by Col. Charles P. Dare, arrived by trains 
from Perrysville Camp, opposite Havre 
de Grace. During the afternoon of the 
same day, the 21st Regiment, Col. John 
F. Ballier, and the 24th, Col. Joshua T. 
Owens, both from Philadelphia, also 
arrived. On Friday morning the "Scott 
Legion," Col. Gray, numbering about one 
thousand men, arrived from Philadelphia. 



The whole number of troops which had 
arrived up to this time was about eight 
thousand. These men were quartered in 
the following places : The 2nd and 3d 
upon the Fair Grounds, which they called 
"Camp Givens," named after Maj. James 
S. Givens, of the 2nd Regiment. These 
two Regiments were subsequently for a 
short time quartered in the Court House, 
churches and other public buildings. The 
6th, 21st and 23d, at Camp Carbon, on the 
grounds of Col. McClure, north of the 
town. The Scott Legion and the 21:th, 
encamped about three miles south of the 
town on the farm of Mr. Christian Bitner — 
the 2nd and 3d Regiments being removed 
to this encampment. Changes were made 
in some of these encampments afterwards 
as better locations were found. 

On Saturday morning, June 21st, a large 
number of U. S. Baggage Wagons arrived ; 
also a brigade of cavalry, numbering about 
five hundred. The cavalry encamped in 
the grove north of the town, near where 
the Gate House then stood. 

In the afternoon of Saturday, June 1st, 
the horrible tragedy of the killing of the 
colored man, Frank Jones, occurred. — 
Jones, it was said, kept a disorderly house 
in that part of the town known as"Wolfs- 
town." His place was the frequent resort 
of soldiers, and for some cause on that 
afternoon they attacked his place, forcing 
open the doors, breaking in the windows, 
upsetting the stove and beating Jones and 
his wife. In theconfusion Jones discharged 
his gun, the contents of which wounded 
two soldiers in the legs. The cry was 
then raised, "kill the nigger, kill the 
nigger." Jones fled from his house, going 
out of the back door and crossing the lots 



i6 



Reminiscences of the War. 



ill the direction of West Market Street. — 
Wheu his flight was discovered, a Lieu- 
tenant of one of the Pittsburg companies, 
attached to the Seventh Regiment, who 
liad just arrived on the ground, called out 
for the men to pursue Jones, he following 
in the pursuit. Jones succeeded in reach- 
ing the house standing upon what is known 
as Federal Hill, now occupied by Mr. 
Boyer, but then the residence of George 
Eyster, Esq. Upon the arrival of the 
soldiers, Jones was found in one of the 
chimnies, from which he was dragged 
against the protests of Mrs. Eyster, led 
out into the front of the house and brutally 
killed, the Lieutenant himself firing five 
shots from his pistol into the body of Jones. 
He was also beaten over the head with a 
club, and several bayonets and swords 
were thrust into him. The body of Jones 
was subsequently taken into the jail yard, 
where an inquest and po.s^-7/*or^e«i exami- 
nation were held. He bore upon his body 
twenty wounds, six being bullet wounds 
and the balance incised and contused 
wounds. Warrants were issued for the 
arrest of the persons implicated in this 
foul tragedy, but owing to the excitement 
of the war, nothing was done in the case. 
Some years after this occurrence, the Lieu- 
tenant implicated in this murder volun- 
tarily came to Chambersburg and gave 
himself up for trial, but he was acquitted 
for want of sufficient evidence. 

On Sunday afternoon about five o'clock. 
General Patterson, attended by Capt. Mc- 
MuUen'scompany of Independent Rangers 
from Philadelphia, came to town by a 
special train. Up to this time the sanctity 
of the Sabbath had been but seldom dis- 
turbed by the military in our midst, but 
on tlais day the first great street parade on 
the Sabbath occurred. A large body of 
soldiers were drawn up in line on Nortli 
Main street. When the train arrived, 
Gen. Patterson, and some of his statt', in a 
carriage, specially prepared for liim, took 
his place in the line, and the imposing 
procession marched up Main street, which 
was filled witli a sea of glittering bayonets 
from the Presbyterian church to the Gei'- 
man Reformed. After parading about 
town to the delight of many, but the regret 
of others because of the violation of the 
Sabbath, the General with his military 
family took up his headquarters in the 
large stone building which stood in the 
vacant ground opposite the Montgomery 
hotel, formerly used as a Female seminary. 
It is a significant fact that many of the 
great battles of history were fought upon 
the Sabbath, and in almost every instance 
the attacking party was defeated. This 
fact alone, if not the higher consideration 
of the divine prohibition, should have 
deterred those in command of the armies 



of a Christian Nation from all unnecessary 
military movements upon that day. In 
this case there was no necessity for select- 
ing the Sabbath to come to this place, 
much less for the uncalled for display 
attending it. The contrast between the 
arrival of Gen. Patterson in our town and 
his passing through it on liis return, some 
few weeks afterwards, was decided and 
Immiliatin^. Wlien lie returned lie rode 
in a regular train, in an ordinary car with 
others, and with but a few persons to look 
at liim. He may not have deserved the 
reproach our people lieaped upon him, 
but his case is another illustration of the 
propriety of the Scriptural injunction, 
"Let not him that girdeth on his harness 
boast himself as he that putteth it off." 

During tlie niglit of Sunday, June 1st, 
the 1st Regiment of Pennsylvania Volun- 
teers, commanded by Col. Samuel Yohe, 
arrived ; and early on Tuesday morning, 
June od, the 14th, commanded by Colonel 
John W. Johnston, and the 15th, Colonel 
Richard A. Oakford, also made their 
appearance. Between tliis date and the 
8th inst., two more Regiments arrived, 
viz : the itth Pennsylvania, Col. H. C. 
Ijongeneckerand the 18th, Col. Thomas A. 
Rowley. Following these in close succes- 
sion came the 1st Rhode Island, Colonel 
Burnside, about eleven hundred men and 
a field battery of six pieces with horses, 
wagons and equipments ; the 4th Connec- 
ticut, Col. Levi Woodhouse, one thousand 
strong, the 1st Wisconsin, Colonel Stark- 
weather, the 11th Pennsylvania, Colonel 
Jarrett, and the 16th Pennsylvania, Col. 
Thomas A. Zeigle. On Saturday, the 8th, 
there arrived a Company of Regulars from 
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and five more 
companies from Washington on Sunday. 
Almost every day and night trains of cars 
arrived freighted with horses, baggage 
wagons, amunition and provisions, and 
every indication pointed to a speedy move- 
ment upon the foe. 

The troops after arriving here were or- 
ganized as follows : 

FIRST DIVISION. 

Brevet Major General (jieorge Cadwal- 
lader commanding, consisting of First, 
Third and Fourth Brigades. 

iHt Brigade— G,o\. George H. Thomas, 
2d U. S. Cavalrv, commanding, consisting 
of 

i companies U. S. CavaliT,aiuHstriiiUiclelphia 
City Troop, Capt James. 

Battalion ot Artillery and Infantry, Capt. 
Doubleday. 

1st Rhode Island Regt. and Battery, Col. 
Burnside. 

Gtli Penna. Regt., Colonel Nagle. 

21st " " Col. Ballier. 

23d " " Col. Dare. 



Reminiscences of the War. 



17 



Sd Brigade— Brig. Gen. E. C. Williams 
commandiag, consisting of 

7th Uegt. Penna. Volunteers, Col. Irwin. 
StU •' " " Col. Kmly. 

lOtli " '• " Col. Mereclitli. 

20th " Scott Legion, Col. Gray. 

4th Brigade— Co\. D. S. Miles, U. S. 
Infantry, commanding, consisting of 

2d and 3d U. S. Infantry, Maj. Sheppard. 
9th Penna., Col. Longenecker. 
13th " Col. Rowley. 
16th " Col. Zeigle. 

SECOND DIVISION. 

Major General Wm. H. Keim, com- 
noanding, consisting of the Second and 
Fifth Brigades. 

2d Brigade— Brig. Gen.G. C. Wyncoop, 
commanding, consisting of 

1st Penna., Col. Yohe. 
2d " Col. Stumbangh 
3d " CoL.Minler. 
24th " Col. Owens. 

5th Brigade— Brig. Gen. J. S. Negley, 
commanding, consisting of 

1st Wisconsin, Col. Starkweather. 
4th Connecticut, Col. Woodhouse. 
llth Penna., Col. Jarrett. 
14th " Col. Johnson. 
15th " Col. Oakford. 

Gen. Patterson's command, as will be 
seen from the toregoing, consisted of about 
twenty thousand strong. These forces 
were well armed and equipped, and judg- 
ing from the record which many of them 
afterwards made during the war, they 
were fully competent to perform the duty 
entrusted to them. Gen. Johnston, com- 
mander of the rebel forces in the Valley 
of Virginia, had evacuated Harper's Ferry 
and fallen back do Winchester, where he 
had collected a considerable force. To 
Gen. Patterson was entrusted the duty to 
either attack and defeat this force, or to 
hold it there while another force under 
Gen. McDowell marched from Washing- 
ton to attack Beauregard at Mnuassas. 
That either or both these objects was not 
accomplished was not the fault of the 
men. I am aware that Gen. Patterson, a 
few years before his death, felt at liberty 
to make public some facts which seemed 
to place the responsibility of the failure of 
his expedition upon others. Impartial 
history will attach that responsibility 
where it justly belongs. 

On Friday morning, June 7th, the ad- 
vance towards Virginia commenced. 
The troops encamped upon the grounds of 
Col. McClure, north ot the town, marched 
up Main street, amidst the intense enthu- 
siasm of the people. Some of the regi- 
ments, with some of the artillery belong- 
ing to Gen. Cadwallader's division, had 
already gone southward by railroad. 

As these troops passed up our street, 
that familiar and eccentric character, 



Aleck Orbison, known to the older per- 
sons in this place, stood upon the pave- 
ment in front of Gen. Patterson's head- 
quarters. He was dressed in a suit of old 
regimentals which some one had given 
him. As the officers rode by he greeted 
them with a salute and bow, gracefully 
touching his old high crowned and plum- 
ed Revolutionary hat. Supposing him to 
he some one connected with headquarters 
and high in rank, some of the officers, 
failing to take in the situation until the 
laughter of the people led them to see it, 
returned his salute, to the great amuse- 
ment of all who witnessed it. 

On Saturday morning the troops from 
Camp Slifer, under Gen. Williams, left 
their encampment and followed Gen. Cad- 
wallader southward. These were followed 
day after day by others, until all were 
gone. The 2d and 3d Regiments, to which 
the two companies from this place belong- 
ed, left their encampment upon Mr. 
Bitner's farm on Saturday, the 15th. 

It is not our purpose to follow this grand 
army in its marchings and counter march- 
ings, its crossing and recrossing the 
Potomac, its victory over the enemy at 
Falling Waters and triumphant march to 
Bunker Hill, within striking distance of 
the enemy, and its inglorious turning 
aside and falling back to Charlestown and 
Harper's Ferry, leaving Johnston to flee 
to Manassas and snatch from the Union 
forces the wreath of victorious battle al- 
ready won. Somebody either blundered, 
or was incompetent for the trust confided 
to him. 

Immediately after the departure of the 
troops from this place, all the inmates of 
the hospitals, who were well enough, were 
sent to their respective companies. 
Others, not sufficiently recovered, were 
sent to their homes or to other hospitals. 
There were quite a number, however, 
who were too weak and ill to be sent 
away. These our citizens agreed to care 
for, without compensation, and they were 
distributed among families in the town. 
One was taken in charge by Mr. Sam- 
uel Myers, one by Mr. Henry Embich, 
one by Mrs. Wolfkill, one by Daniel 
Trestle, two by A. H. McCulloh, three 
by Charles Eyster, one by Hon. George 
Chambers, one by Frederick Deitrich,and 
one by the writer. Dr. A. H. Seuseny 
was put in charge of them. Within a 
week the three in the families of Mr. 
Embich, Mrs. Wolfkill and Frederick 
Deitrich died. The soldier assigned to us 
was named Summerfield. He came from 
Pittsburg. He was slowly recovering 
from a long and severe attack of typhoid 
fever. His mind was weak and he seemed 
like a child. He imagined that he had 
captured Jeff. Davis with five hundred 



i8 



Reminiscences of the War. 



thousand dollars in gold and two horses. 
He would every day look out of the win- 
dow to see if the bank, in which he imag- 
ined his money was stored, was still there, 
and would then go down to the stable at 
the lower end of our lot, in which Sheriff 
Brandt had two horses, which he claimed 
as those he captured, to see if they were 
yet on hand. Dr. A. H. Senseny called 
every day to see him and inquired if he 
still had old Jeff, and his money and 
horses ? After he became stronger and 
better he would smile when this question 
was asked him. When able to travel we 
sent him to his home in Pittsburg. In 
about two months afterwards we received 
a letter from him from Washington. He 
had again enlisted and was then in service. 
The case of the soldier who died at the 
residence of Mr. Deitrich is peculiarly in- 
teresting. One day, about a week or ten 
days before the departure of the troops, I 
visited, as was my frequent custom, the 
hospital in the Hall. Seated beside the 
cot of a youthful soldier, sorely afflicted 
with typhoid fever, was a middle aged 
German woman. She resided in Alleghe- 
ny City, and was the mother of the young 
soldier, and having heard of his illuess 
had come on to see after him. Her dress 
and scanty bundle indicated poverty, and 
inability to pay lodging, and she could not 
be entertained in the hospital. Mr. Fred- 
erick Deitrich and his good old wife kind- 
ly consented to give her a home. After 
showing her to her room the first night 
she lodged with them, she was overheard 



in earnest prayer for her poor sick boy, 
and for the kind family who had opened 
its door and taken her in. Mr. Deitrich 
and his wife were pious people, and from 
that time became greatly attached to' their 
guest. This woman's son, the soldier boy 
already referred to, was the last one in the 
hospital. All the others had been remov- 
ed and provided for. A stretcher was pro- 
cured and he was borne to Mr. Deitrich's 
residence. Going up to see him late in 
the afternoon, I found him dead. As 
soon as he was comfortably fixed in bed 
after his removal, his mother, joined by 
Mr. and Mrs. Deitrich, knelt by his bed 
and prayed repeatedly for him and pointed 
him to the dying soldier's Friend. They 
had the satisfaction to see him die in peace 
and hope. A coffin and shroud were pro- 
cured, and the next morning, followed 
by the family of Mr. Deitrich and a few 
others, his body was borne to the depot 
and taken by his mother, the railroad 
officials granting free transportation, to 
Allegheny City, where it was received 
and buried by the military. As the train 
bearing the mother and her dead son 
moved around the curve at Grier's ware- 
house, the woman waved her hand out of 
the car window and then pointed up- 
wards, as if to say: "Farewell; we will 
meet up there." Mr. Deitrich and 
his good old wife are long dead. They 
have doubtless met both mother and son 
where wars are unknown, and where 
death and tears are forever ended. 



CHAPTER V. 



Organization of the 126th Regiment ; Fugitives From Slavery. 



It is not my purpose to enter into the 
details of all the military movements 
which occurred in and about our town 
during the war. Large armies of both 
Union and Confederates, several times 
congregated about the place, and Regi- 
ments, Companies and detachments were 
almost constantly passing to and from the 
seat of hostilities. Recruiting was going 
on all the time, and there was scarcely a 
period in those four eventful years, when 
military encampments were not located 
about the place. Chambersburg and 
Franklin County furnished their full share 
of recruits, and to give the names of all 
these, and the times of the leaving and 
their destination, would swell these articles 
beyond the limits I have prescribed. I 



shall therefore confine myself to some of 
the leading occurrences, and detail events 
not generally known. 

On Monday, July 22d, our town was in 
a state of intense excitement, occasioned 
by the news of a great victory gained over 
the rebels by the army of Gen. McDowell 
at Manassas on the day previous. But in 
the evening our rejoicing was turned into 
disappointment and alarm, by the later 
received news that, owing to General 
Johnston's arrival upon the field from 
Winchester with a large part of his army, 
and after the victory had already been 
won, defeat had ensued. Execrations 
upon Gen. Patterson for failing to prevent 
this junction were many and bitter. It 
was too looked upon as an addition of 



Reminiscences of the War> 



19 



another to the multitudes of other cases of 
disastrous results to the attacking party 
upon the Sabbath. Then the National 
Capitol was in danger, and the indefinite 
prolongation of the war, with the threat- 
ening condition along our borders, excited 
universal alarm. 

On Sunday afternoon following this 
defeat, July 28th, the town was again 
excited by the arrival of the Franklin 
County companies belonging to the 22nd 
Eegiment. The period of their enlistment 
had expired, and they were discharged. 
The companies were marched from the 
depot, followed by a vast concourse of 
people, to the Public Square, where they 
were dismissed. 

During the summer ot 1862, indeed 
throughout nearly the whole period of 
the war, a great many sick and wounded 
soldiers almost daily passed through the 
town. Owing to the crowded state of the 
hotels, and sometimes to the diseases under 
which some of them were suffering, it was 
determined by our citizens to procure a 
suitable lodging place for them, where 
they could remain over night, or longer if 
necessary. Accordingly a public meeting 
was held in the Court House for the pur- 
pose stated, and a committee appointed to 
have charge of this matter. The commit- 
tee consisted of Captain J. M. Brown, J. 
S. Brown, B. F. Nead, John Mull and 
Jacob Hoke. The lower part of the 
Masonic Hall was procured and fitted up 
with beds, and other things necessary for 
the comfort of the soldiers. Arrangements 
were also made with one of the hotel 
keepers to furnish their meals. The 
expenses of this worthy enterprise were 
willingly borne by our citizens. The 
propriety of this arrangement was after- 
wards seen in the number of soldiers who 
there found a comfortable resting place 
and entertainment free of charge. 

About this time the ladies of the town 
organized themselves into an association 
called the Ladies' Aid Society for the pur- 
pose of collecting money to purchase 
material for clothing, and other comforts 
for the sick and wounded soldiers. Lint 
and bandages for dressing wounds were 
also prepared. Mrs. B. S. Schneck was 
President of this Society, and its head 
quarters were in the Associate Reformed 
Church, on Second Street, where the resi- 
dence of Mr. John Lortz now stands, and 
which was burned by the rebels, July 
30th, 1864. On Sunday, August 31st, after 
the disastrous battles of Ceutreville, Manas- 
sas and Cbantilly, a despatch was received 
from Governor Curtin, requesting all our 
physicians to proceed to Washington to 
assist in caring for the large number of 
wounded from those battles. Our people 
at oucti flocked to the church, and assisted 



the ladies in packing the articles which 
they had prepared. These were taken in 
charge by the physicians, who left that 
night in a special train. The physicians 
who responded to this call were, Drs. A. 
H. Sensen y, J. C. Richards, Jas. Hamil- 
ton, Wm. H. Boyle, J. Montgomery, and 
H. Langhein. They were however sent 
back by the authorities at Washington. 

On the 17th of July the President was 
authorized to accept the services of one 
hundred thousand volunteers for nine 
months. Three weeks after this c^ll, the 
126th Regiment was organized and ready 
for service. Franklin County furnished 
eight com panics for this Regiment, except 
part of one company, which was furnished 
by Fulton County. Three of these com- 
panies were composed mostly of young 
men from Chambersburg. Greencastle, 
Mercersburg, Waynesboro', St. Thomas, 
and Path Valley, contributed the other 
five companies. Juniata County furnished 
the remaining two companies to complete 
the Regiment. Captain James G. Elder 
was elected Colonel ; D. Watson Rowe, 
now Judge of this district, Lieut. Colonel ; 
James C. Austin, Major; John Stewart, 
now a Senator of the State, Adjutant ; T. 
J. Nill, Quarter Master ; Washington G. 
Nugent, Surgeon ; Franklin Grube, Ass't. 
Surgeon, Rev. Samuel J. Niccolls, Pastor 
of the Falling Spring Presbyterian Church 
of this place, Chaplain. Major Austin 
was afterwards succeeded by Capt. Robert 
S. Brownson, and Rev. Mr. Niccolls by 
Rev. John Ault. Captain John Doeblef, 
of Company A, Captain John H. Reed, of 
Company D, and Capt. George L. Miles, 
of Company G, were from Chambersburg ; 
Capt. William H. Davidson, of Company 
B, and Capt. Andrew R. Davidson, of 
Company K, were from Greencastle ; Cap- 
tain and afterwards Major Robert S, 
Brownson, was from Mercersburg; Capt. 
W. W. Walker, of Company E, from 
Waynesboro', and Capt. John H. Walker, 
of Company H, from Path Valley; Capt. 
John F. Wharton, of Company F, and 
Capt. Amos H. Martin, of Company I, 
were from Juniata County, It would be 
a matter of interest to record here the 
names oftheremainingofficers and privates 
of this Regiment, but our space forbids. — 
They were the flower and pride of the 
county, and among the survivors in our 
own town are many of our leading business 
and professional men. Never before, nor 
afterwards, in the history of the war, did 
one single town of the size of Chambers- 
burg, send forth to the field of strife so 
many of her best and most honored young 
men. The only motive which could have 
prompted them to break away from the 
fond hearts and homes in which they 
were the life and light, was pure patriotism. 



20 



Reminiscences of the War. 



Their imperilled coUhtty needed their ser- 
vices, and they readily responded to her 
call. 

When the three companies from this 
place, which formed part of the 126th 
Regiment, embarked upon the cars for 
Harrisburg, the touching scenes of April 
19th, 1861, when the Chambers Artillery 
left, were re. enacted. Great crowds gathered 
at the depot. Tears were shed, farewells 
were spoken , and hearts were made desolate. 
To some of these noble ones it was the last 
greeting from home and friends. Some 
sleep in honored graves in distant places, 
and others were brought here to be followed 
in solemn and mournful procession to our 
beautiful cemetery, where upon each 
return of the day set apart specially to do 
honor to their memories, their graves, with 
those of others who laid down their lives 
upon their country's altar, are strewn with 
flowers. Honored men I Let their names 
and deeds be ever kept in grateful remem- 
brance. 

The men which Cbambersburg contrib- 
uted to the 126th Regiment, left this place 
for Harrisburg enrolled as members of the 
"Chambers Artillery." This was the 
name of the company which left under 
Capt. Housum at the outbreak of the war. 
Like that company it was also divided, 
and in this case three companies were 
made out of it. It proved to be the first 
company which arrived at Harrisburg 
under the call for additional troops. 

Arriving at Harrisburg the men were 
quartered at Camp Curtin, where the 
organization of the Regiment was made, 
immediately after which it was sent to the 
front. At Fredericksburg and Chaneel- 
lorsville the Regiment demeaned itself so 
well that the expectations of its friends 
were more than realized. 

About the time the call of the Govern- 
ment was made, in response to which the 
126th Regiment was formed, an order was 
issued for the first draft of the war. D. 
K. Wunderlich, Esq., was appointed Mar- 
shal of Franklin county, and William G. 
Reed, Esq., Deputy Marshal. Mr. Reed 
appointed his deputies in all the districts 
of the county, and they proceeded to en- 
rol the names of all male persons between 
the ages of 18 and 45. Notices were then 
served on each person thus enrolled, 
requiring them to appear before a Com- 
missioner to hear and decide upon all 
claims for exemption. Dr. A. H. Sen- 
seny was the Commissioner for Chambers- 
burg and vicinity. He held his examina- 
tions in one of the jury rooms of the Court 
House. Never before in the history of 
the county were there so many invalids 
gathered in and about the Court House. 
The Doctor, however, possessed the happy 
faculty of detecting the cases which were 



simulated. In the several drafts which 
were afterwards made, the drafted persons 
alone were required to appear for exami- 
nation. 

The foregoing brings us to the first week 
in August, 1862. I shall now go back and 
narrate some exciting events which 
occurred along the border and in and 
about our town. May 26th, and the week 
or two succeeding. These eVents could 
not be narrated in their proper sequence 
without interfering with the statement of 
events of a like order which occurred 
during this period. 

Early on Monday morning. May 26th, 
our town was thrown into a state of great 
excitement by the announcement that 
Gen. Banks, who had succeeded to the 
command of the Union forces in the 
Valley of the Virginia, had been surprised 
and driven back from Strasburg to Win- 
chester, and from thence to Martinsburg, 
and to the north i-ide of the Potomac, by 
a large rebel force under Generals Ewell 
and Johnson. Extras were issued from 
the printing oflftces detailing the situation, 
and circulating the orders issued by the 
Governor calling out the militia and vol- 
unteers for the protection of our border 
from a threatened raid. Drums were 
beaten, the people collected in large num- 
bers about the Diamond, and many enroll, 
ed themselves to meet the emergency. 
During the afternoon a body of men, 
about sixty in number, arrived from St. 
Thomas under the command of Captain 
Elder. Towards eveuiug and during the 
next day a considerable number of strag- 
glers from Gen. Banks' command, and 
large numbers of colored persons, came 
streaming through our streets. The col- 
ored persons were fugitives from slavery, 
and they fled northward with the Union 
forces. They consisted of men, women 
and children. Many of them carried large 
bundles upon their heads, and articles of 
furniture and clothing in their hands. 
The most of them went on down the 
valley towards Harrisburg, while a con- 
siderable number tarried about Chambers- 
burg. About four hundred in all composed 
that band of homeless fugitives. After 
Gen. Banks again went up the Valley, the 
most of these contrabands returned to 
Virginia. My attention was called one 
day to the fact that about thirty or forty 
of these poor people were collected in and 
about a shed attached to the warehouse 
belonging to Messrs. Osks and Caufman, 
but now to Messrs. Linn and Coyle, I 
went down to see them, and found some 
old and gray-headed veterans, men and 
women, who had given the whole of their 
lives to unrequited toil. There were some 
able bodied men and also children. Some 
half dozen were sick with the measles, 



Reminiscences of the War 



21 



and they were lying on straw under the 
shed. They were strangers in a strange 
land, and were without food or friends. 
After conversing awhile and learning 
their condition, I proposed that if they 
would all consent to obey the orders of 
"Uncle Ned,-' an old patriarch among 
them, I would furnish them with some- 
thing to eat, which would be placed in his 
care, and he was to deal it out to them as 
it was needed. To this they readily Con- 
sented, and Uncle Ned sent two stout 
young men with me. I procured a 
basket and purchased twenty or thirty 
loaves of bread which they carried down. 
When they returned with the basket I 
filled a large crock with molasses and they 
carried it down also. For about ten days 
or two weeks they were furnished with a 
like number of loaves of bread each day, 
and occasionally a crock of molasses and a 
a large flitch, or side of bacon, boiled. I 
was assisted to pay for these things by 
contributions which I had only to ask 
for to receive. I had, however, to exercise 
discretion in knowing who to ask and who 
to avoid. I was told by persons residing 
in the lower end of the town that prior to 
the provision made for them, these people 
would frequently ask for work, but would 
never beg. And while they were taken 
care of, the able bodied men would often 
go out into the country seeking employ- 
ment. In a few weeks they went away — 
some to places which they had secured 
and where work could be had, and some 
back into Virginia. 

A very deeply interesting event occurred 
at the time of the foregoing. Some few 
years before the war a colored family, by 
the name of Robinson, came to this place 
and purchased a property on West King 
street. The house stands on the hill next 
to where the Baltimore and Cumberland 
Valley Railroad passes King street. 
Robinson was an industrious shoemaker 
and carried on his trade after his settle- 
ment here. His wife aided to support the 
family by taking in washing. The wife 
of Robinson, when he married her, was a 
slave, and they resided in Fauquier county, 
Virginia. After being married about ten 
years, Robinson, by bis industry and 
economy, was enabled to purchase the 
freedom of his wife. Prior to her pur- 
chase two children were born to them, 
who, according to the laws of Virginia, 
were slaves. One day when Mrs. Robin- 
son was out in the fields of her master 
gathering berries, her daughter Mary, 
then eight years old, was sold. For over 
thirty years these parents never heard a 
word concerning this little one. Mrs. 



Robinson was a devout Christian, and often 
prayed that if her child were living she 
might yet be restored to her. Among the 
fugitives who came to our town at the 
time of Gen. Banks' retreat, was a colored 
man from the neighborhood of Winches- 
ter. Falling into the company of Robin- 
son, and hearing his story about his 
daughter, this man imparted to him the 
thrilling information that he knew Mary, 
that she had lived near Winchester, had 
been married, that her husband was dead, 
leaving her with three children, and that 
she had accompanied him in his flight as 
far as the Virginia side of the Potomac, 
nearly opposite Williamsport, where, 
unable to proceed further, she with her 
three children had taken refuge in a 
deserted school house. Early the next 
morning Robinson started after his long- 
lost child with a wagon. Arriving at the 
school house he found it filled with fugi- 
tive slaves, who, like his daughter, could 
proceed no further. After a little while 
he succeeded in finding among the number 
his own lost one. Some of the neighbors 
who resided near the residence of the 
Robinsons here, and respected them for 
their industry, having heard of the proba- 
bility of the father's return with the 
daughter, had gathered in the evening in 
and about the house to witness the scene. 
At length after dark the sound of ap* 
preaching wheels was heard. The wagon 
stopped in front of their residence, and 
Mrs. Robinson, followed by a grown up 
daughter and other children born after 
little Mary's departure, rushed to the 
wagon and received and embraced the 
long-lost one. The scene was intensely 
affecting, and all present wept with the 
family. The next morning I visited the 
residence of Robinson and saw Mary and 
her children. A few days ago 1 visited 
the place again to verify the foregoing. I 
found Mrs. Robinson in the same house, 
surrounded by her children and grand 
children. Her husband died about ten 
years ago. Mary, the long-lost one, is 
alive, and is now living with Mrs. Wil- 
liam McLellan, on East Market street. 
Thank God, the accursed system of iniqui- 
ty which produces such results as those 
narrated has jjerished forever from our 
country. It took a million brave hearts, 
hundreds of thousands of noble lives, a 
martyred President, and three thousand 
millions of dollars to overthrow it, but it 
has perished, and there is none so mean 
now to shed a tear over its loathsome car- 
cass. May its like, wherever found upon 
the face of the earth, share a similar fate. 



22 



Reminiscences of the War, 



CHAPTER VI. 



Chambeksburg under Martial Law ; Visit to the Battlefield of 
South Mountain ; Battle of Antietam. 



Immediately after the disastrous battles 
of August 27th, 28th and 29th, usually 
known as the second battle of Bull Run, 
and the retreat of the Union Army to the 
defenses about Washington, the Confeder- 
ate Army under (jien. Lee crossed the 
Potomac at Edward's Ferry, and moved 
westwardly through Frederick towards 
the borders of our State. The advance of 
this army reached Hagerstown, and their 
picket line extended to State Line, some 
sixteen miles from this place. As the 
information of the approach of these 
forces was received, intense excitement 
prevailed throughout the entire country. 
Business was practically suspended in our 
town, and the work of secreting or sending 
away merchandize and other valuables 
was at once commenced. On Monday, 
Sept. 8th, we packed and sent away to 
Philadelphia, for storage, the most valua- 
ble part of our stock of merchandize, and 
on Wednesday sent off another lot. It 
will give some idea of the difHculties 
under which business was transacted here 
and along the border during the war, 
when I state that on a large part of our 
stock we paid transportation to and from 
Philadelphia from three to five times. In 
addition to this were the expenses of 
secreting in the country, and in houses on 
the outskirts of the town. During Lee's 
invasion we had nearly all our stock 
secreted in a fire proof beer vault under 
Dr. Langhein's back building, adjoining 
our store ; and in this same vault we had 
a considerable amount stored when the 
town was burnt in July, 1864. 

On Wednesday, Sept. 10th, our town 
was placed under Martial Law. Hon. F. 
M. Kimmell, formerly President Judge 
of this Judicial District, was made Pro- 
vost Martial, with headquarters in his 
law office in the Hall. Martial law pre- 
vailed in the town for about three weeks. 
Judge Kimmell proved to be an excellent 
man for this position. His authority was 
respected not only within the town, but 
for many miles around it. The writer, in 
company with three others, on returning 
at a late hour of the night from the battle- 
field of Antietam on Friday, 19tb, was 
stopped by a sentinel below Marion. 
Upon presenting a pass from Judge 
Kimmell we were permitted to pass 
through the lines to town. 



On Friday, Sept. 12th, the excitement 
increasing, many of the citizens of the 
town left for more safe and quiet quarters. 

It had been arranged that if the rebels 
would advance, notice was to be given by 
ringing the Court House bell. One even- 
ing near sundown, despatches were re- 
ceived from Greencastle that the enemy 
were advancing. Immediately the signal 
was given, and a scene of excitement 
ensued which no language of mine can 
fully describe. An Artillery Company, 
with four pieces, were encamped in the 
field across from the Foundry of Messrs. 
T. B. Wood & Sons. These came gallop- 
ing up into the Diamond, and added no 
little to the consternation. There were 
too few troops here to justify any formida- 
ble opposition outside of the town, and it 
was decided to make the Diamond the 
line of defense. One piece of artillery was 
placed between Mr. Nixon's drug store 
and the grocery of Messrs. Lortz & Wolf- 
inger, pointing south ; another was placed 
at the corner ot Main and King streets, 
pointing west, and covering the approach 
by West King street; another was placed 
in front of the residence of Mr. T. B. Ken- 
nedy, pointing east ; and the fourth piece 
was planted a short distance below the 
Diamond in Market street, pointing west. 
Under the authority of Marshal Kimmell, 
a number of citizens were taken to a 
vacant field near the depot to fill bags 
with earth for a breastwork. These bags 
were furnished by the Battery. In this 
work of digging and shoveling, Judge 
Kimmell set a creditable example by tak- 
ing off his coat and assisting. These bags 
of earth were hauled up and placed across 
Market street, about in range with the 
rear end of the Central church. A gap 
was left for the cannon. This was the 
only defensive work, or fortification, ever 
thrown up here during the war. Sharp 
shooters were also placed in several hous- 
es at eligible places. Had the rebels come 
that night, the Diamond would have been 
the scene of a fearful slaughter, for the 
few hundred trooDS there were entirely 
inadequate to meet the force that was 
usually sent in advance. Before tea 
o'clock we received word that the enemy 
had again fallen back to State Line, and 
our people retired to rest. In the morn- 
ing we found the soldiers lying around the 



Reminiscences of the War. 



23 



Diamond upon the pavenaeuts. Some 
were cooking their breakfasts. During 
the forenoon they were withdrawn and 
taken back to their former encampment. 
Under the authority of the Marshal all 
our able-bodied citizens were ordered to 
report for duty, and many shouldered the 
musket and performed picket and guard 
service. The writer, on going to Sabbath 
School, was picked up on the street with a 
number of others, and compelled to assist 
in unpacking boxes filled with harness 
and putting the same togetlier. It was 
his first attempt in the saddlery business, 
and it commenced and ended on the Sab- 
bath. The place of business was in the 
alley back of Mr. D. Trostle's stable, and 
although we had neither advertised our 
business, nor hung out a sign, we had an 
abundance of customers in the persons of a 
lot of boys who gave us the preference 
over the Sabbath Schools. 

A call had been issued by the Govern- 
ment for volunteers to meet the emergen- 
cy, and companies and regiments came in 
from all directions. Major Gen. J. F. 
Reynolds was here in command of these 
emergency men and had his headquarters 
in the house now occupied by Mr. W. H. 
Hiteshew on North Second street. — 
Among the troops who were sent here at 
that time were many of the leading citi- 
sens of the country — ministers, lawyers 
and other professional and business men. 
And it was not an unusual sight to see a 
man worth his tens of thousands of dollars 
• standing guard, musket in hand, over a 
huge stack of hay and other government 
property. Some of the companies from 
abroad had aged persons among them 
araied with their own tried rifles. In 
order to provide for the immediate wants 
of some of these newly arrived men, pro- 
visions were gathered throughout the 
town and county and stored in one of ihe 
rooms of our house back of the store. 
When companies came who had no provi- 
sion made for them, they were taken into 
our yard and house and fed. Anything 
other than bread, as coffee, butter, apple- 
butter and molasses, we provided gratui- 
tously. A word here in relation to my 
duties during this period : I was exempted 
from military service, but was actively 
engaged in the hospitals and camps 
throughout the entire war. I yet preserve 
as a relic my exemption paper, signed by 
Dr. A. H. Senseny and his clerk, Mr. W. 
V. Davis, and Provost Marshal Kimmell's 
pass permitting me to go in and out of all 
these places at my pleasure. 

Among the troops gathered here at that 
time, none rendered greater service, nor 
endeared themselves more to our people, 
than several companies of the 29th Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers. These men had 



seen considerable service, and were con- 
sidered as veterans. The usual accom- 
paniments of nearly all the first soldiers 
who came to our midst during the earlier 
period of the war, as an unnecessary 
amount of clothing, and the luxuries of 
home life, were not found with them. 
They were stripped for fight, and seemed 
always about as ready to do service as to 
partake of the hospitalities of our people, 
which were freely offered them. In con- 
nection with our Home Guards— compa- 
nies composed of our citizens— these veter- 
ans did picket duty out on theGreencastle 
and Waynesboro roads. The chief post 
was on South Main street, opposite the 
Taylor Works. From this post the guards 
were relieved. Many adventures occurred 
while our Home Guards were on picket 
duty during the night, which tried their 
courage. In every case they were equal 
to the occasion. 

On Sunday, the Hth, word was received 
that the pickets had been withdrawn from 
the State line. This indicated a backward 
movement, and enabled the community to 
breathe easier. The reason for this with- 
drawal was afterwards found to be the 
approach of the Army of the Potomac, 
under Gen. McClellan, who had again 
been put in command. On this same day 
—Sabbath, Sept. 14th— Gen. Lee took up 
a strong position upon the top of South 
Mountain, to the right and left of the pike, 
to prevent the Union Army from crossing. 
After a desperate battle, in which large 
numbers on both sides were killed and 
wounded, the rebels were outflanked and 
driven from the mountain. Gen. Lee 
took up another strong position near 
Sharpsburg, and calling in his troops, who 
were encamped all along the road to 
Hagerstown, prepared for the great battle 
of the Wednesday following. 

On Monday, the 15th, another great 
excitement was caused by the unexpected 
arrival of a company of Cavalry having 
in charge some fifty or sixty rebel prison- 
ers and a long train of wagons. This 
train with its guard was captured that 
morning between Williamsport and Ha- 
gerstown by about 1,500 Union Cavalry, 
who had cut their way through General 
Jackson's lines around Harper's Ferry. 
Seeing defeat inevitable, these brave men 
by permission of the officer in command, 
made their escape. Harper's Ferry with 
its defenders and a large amount of milita- 
ry stores fell into the enemy's possession 
two days afterwards. The train proved 
to be part of General Longstreet's amuni- 
tion train, and the contents of the wagons 
were stored in the warehouse of Messrs. 
Wunderlich & Nead where, on Oct. 11th, 
it was destroyed under Gen. Stuart's raid. 
Among the prisoners was Cleggett Fitz- 



24 



Re7niniscences of the War. 



hugh, a citizen of our county and a nephew 
of Hon. Gerritt Smith, the able and fear- 
less opponent of slavery. In connection 
with Daniel Logan, he captured Captain 
Cook in his flight from Harper's Ferry, 
alter the failure of the John Brown raid, 
and returned him to Virginia, where he 
paid the penalty of his life upon the scaf- 
fold for his fool hardy attempt to free the 
slaves. Fitzhugh had left Hughes' Fur- 
nace (Alto Dale) but a few days before for 
Hagerstown where he joined the rebel 
army. The feeling against him when he 
was marched through our streets along 
with the other prisoners, was intense. He 
was followed by an excited crowd, who 
yelled and shouted, "'Hang him," "Shoot 
him, ""Kill the villain." Under a strong 
escort these men were guarded to the jail 
and turned into the yard. Shortly after 
these men had been lodged in the enclo- 
sure behind the jail, I was directed by the 
Provost Marshal to select a number of 
men and take a sufficient amount of 
bread from the store in our room and feed 
them. The men were lying upon the 
ground under the shadow of the high 
stone wall, and Fitzhugh among them 
lying upon his face. He would neither 
eat, speak, nor permit any one to see his 
face. He evidently felt that he was in 
bad company, and that his short military 
career had come to a hasty and ignoble 
conclusion. 

On the day following the capture of 
Gen. Longstreet's ammunition train, 
word was received of the withdrawal of 
the rebels from Hagerstown, and their 
falling back towards Sharpsburg. A 
train for Hagerstown was announced, and 
about one hundred of our citizens, the 
writer among the number, took passage 
upon it. Our destination was the battle 
field of South Mountain. Arriving at 
Hagerstown I obtained passage to Boous- 
boro' in a spring wagon, my fellow pas- 
sengers being Col. A. K. McClure, Wm. 
McLellan, Esq., an editor of one of the 
Harrisburg papers, and Mr. Lewis Wamp- 
ler. Few others from Chambersburg 
were fortunate enough to obtain convey- 
ances, and the large majority had to walk 
— the distance being about ten miles. 
Here and there below Hagerstown the 
fences were down, and the usual evidences 
of recent encampments were seen. When 
approaching Boonsboro' we saw some of 
the results of the Cavalry engagement 
there a day or two previously. Limbs 
were shot off of the trees by the roadside, 
and a few dead rebels lay along the fences. 
A party of citizens were engaged in bury- 
ing them when we i:)assed. This was our 
first sight of real war. It was as but a 
drop before a shower to what we saw 
when we reiachEfti the field bf strife. Ar 



riving at Boonsboro', we found all astir. 
People were coming in from all directions. 
Army wagons seemed to be everywhere. 
The fields south of the town were white 
with them, and an almost continuous 
stream, heavily loaded, came down from 
the mountain and turned south towards 
Sharpsburg, while an equal number, 
unloaded and empty, returned by the 
same route. Straggling and foot-sore 
soldiers were also slowly making their 
way towards the encampments south of 
the town. 

After a short stay in Boonsboro', Mr. 
Wampler and myself started for the battle 
field — about two miles distant. The other 
occupants of the wagon engaged the 
driver to take them to Gen. McClelland's 
headquarters. As soon as we reached the 
top of the mountain the evidences of the 
contest were visible. Knapsacks, haver- 
sacks, articles of clothing, old hats, caps 
and shoes, paper, envelopes, &c., were 
scattered everywhere. I picked up an 
envelope with a Zouave grasping the flag 
upon it. It also bore the inscription, 
"The 51st New York ; always ready when 
wanted." That relic was esteemed of 
great interest by a friend in New York, to 
whom I afterwards gave it. We turned 
south on the old Sharpsburg road, which 
runs parallel with the mountain, along its 
eastern slope and near the summit. 
When we came near where this road cross- 
es to the western side of the mountain, we 
saw the first dead man. He was a rebel 
— the Union dead having been all buried. 
He had fallen with his head down hill, 
and pools of blood which had run from 
his body, had collected in the hollow 
places, and were swarming with flies. 
His face was black, eyes open and glaring, 
tongue protruding, and his whole body 
swollen. The stench was horrible and I 
became sick. I ran from the place, but 
all around me were similar loathsome 
objects. In a short time I became used to 
it, and in company with Mr. William 
Heyser, Sr., whom I met at this juncture, 
we took in the awful situation. In an 
undergrowth of laurel bushes we saw 
dozens upon dozensof men, who had appa- 
rently taken refuge there after being 
wounded, and had there died. Some were 
youthful, and doubtless the light and joy 
of many a mother's heart and Southern 
home. We passed thence to a yard in 
front of a cabin by the road side. In the 
cabin and all around it were collected the 
wounded who could not be taken to dis- 
tant hospitals. A youthful soldier lay by 
the doorstep upon the grass. He was ap- 
parently near his end. In his delusion he 
gasped "Ida, Ida." Mr. Heyser and I 
thought he was calling some loved one. 
I (leaving Mr. Heyser and his son William 



Reminiscences of the War. 



25 



—our fellow towumau — standing by this 
youthful soldier, I went into the garden 
attached to the cabin. The vegetables 
had been pulled up, and upon blankets 
laid upon the ground were about fifty 
badly wounded rebels. The only protec- 
tion they had from the sun and threatened 
rain, were branches of trees stuck iu the 
ground. Upon the outer edge of this row 
of suffering men lay a tall, fine looking 
man. His black slouched hat was partly 
drawn down over his face. Kneeling by 
his side I endeavored to engage him in 
conversation. At first he seemed some- 
what disinclined to converse with me, 
but I soon overcame his reluctance by 
expressions of sympathy, and at length to 
my inquiry as to whether I could do 
anything for him, he replied, "Yes, I want 
you to send for my wife. 1 promised her 
that if I would get wounded or sick that I 
would send for her." "Where does she 
live?" I asked. "In South Carolina." 
I then told him how far he was from his 
home, and that there were no mail com- 
munications with that section, and that it 
was impossible that his wife could come 
on to see him. I then said to him that if 
he had any message which he wished to 
send his wife, that I would take it down 
in writing, and that as soon as I could 
reach her by a letter I would write to her. 
To this he assented, and taking out my 
pocket memorandum and pencil, I said, 
"Now tell me your name." "William J. 
Cotton." His company and regiment 
were also noted down. "What is your 
wife's name?" "Mary J. Cotton." 
"Where does she live?" The precise 
address I cannot give. It was at some 
Cross Roads— either Fairfax Cross Roads, 
or in Fairfax county. South Carolina. 
"When and where were you wounded?" 
"Shot through the thigh on Sunday after- 
noon." "Do 3'ou expect to recover?" 
"Well, I have a good constitution, and if 
I could be taken somewhere where I could 
be sheltered from the sun and rain, I think 
I might get well. But the doctors are 
kind ; they are doing all for me they can, 
but if it rains to-night, as I think it will, 
I suppose I will h.ave todie." "Well, my 
friend," I said, "suppose you were to die, 
are you prepared for death ?" After a 
pause and with deep emotion and heaving 
chest, and almost choking voice, he re- 
plied, "Well, I wantyou to tell Mary that 
I could never forget the promise I made 
her when I left home— O my poor wife, 
perhaps she is dead now, tor she was sick 
and in bed when 1 left,— tell her I have 
kept it every day." "What was that 
promise?" "She made nre promise that 
I would pray every day, and I could 
never forget that promise, and \ liave 
tried to pray, and somehow I feel that if I 



never see my wife again on earth I will 
meet her in heaven." By this time I was 
in deep sympathy with him, and tried to 
commend him to tlie only Friend who 
could help him in the terrible condition 
he was in. He then further said, "Tell 
Mary that she must do the best she can." 

While engaged with this man, other 
wounded men were calling me, thus, "say 
Mister, will you write me a letter to my 
mother ?" "Will you write to my father?" 
Said one, "O, Mister, the doctor wants to 
cut my leg off; shall I let him do it ?" He 
was shot through the knee. Another 
said, "Mister, you have a pair of scissors 
in your pocket; will you please throw 
them to me" When I threw him my 
scissors he struggled to sit up, leaning upon 
one elbow long enough to cut away his 
pantaloons, which were somewhat twisted 
around under his limb and pressed too 
tightly upon his wound. About that time 
Mr. Jacob S. Brand, another of our towns- 
men, came upon the scene, when I said, 
"Now, Jacob, if you have seen enough of 
the horrors of this scene, come and help 
me take down the messages for these men. 
Mr. Brand remained a short time and then 
left, leaving me alone with the men, but 
I continued until it became too dark to 
write. I had the messages of but four of 
them, and the case of the first which I 
have related is the only one I can recollect. 
When Gren. Lee's army was in our town, 
on its way to Gettysburg, I wrote letters to 
the addresses given me, and after showing 
the letters to one or two of our citizens, to 
see that I was notcommunicatiog improp- 
er information to the enemy, I gave the 
letters, unsealed, to an offlcer on Gen. Ew- 
ell's Staff, who said he would put them in 
their mail and send them to their destina- 
tion. My memorandum, containing these 
records, "was destroyed in the burning of 
our town in 1804, and I have never heard 
whether my letters were received. If this 
record should ever come under the notice 
of any of the persons referred to, it would 
afford me inexpressible pleasure to hear of 
the fact. 

After leaving these wounded ones, but 
comparatively few of whose messages were 
taken, I crossed over to a rarrowjlane which 
intersected the Sharpsburg road. A worm 
fence, built upon a continuous heap of 
stone, ran along this lane, and for some 
distance along the Sharpsburg road north- 
wardly. This stone wall, or heap, had ev- 
idently been used as a breast work, for it 
commanded the ravine up which the ITnion 
forces were expected to come. I was in- 
formed that the rebels were there out- 
flanked and shot down in great numbers. 
This was evident from the great numbers 
of dead laying all along the lane, as far as 
1 could see. Standing in one position, J 



26 



Reminiscences of the War 



touched with my cane uine dead bodies. 
While looking upon this terrible scene, an 
officer, who had been detailed to superin- 
tend tlie burial of the dead, came up the 
lane from the woods eastwardly, and said 
to me, "This is nothing ; if j^ou waut to 
see dead rebels, just go over there to the 
brow of the hill ; there they are lying in 
heaps." An old dry well, I was told by 
some of our party who had seen it, was 
tilled almost to the top with dead and then 
covered over with earth. A dead rebel lay 
in a brick smoke house near by with a bul- 
let hole in his forehead. He had evident- 
ly been a sharp shooter, and had used a 
hole where a brick had been left out for 
air and light, as a loop hole. The dis- 
placement of the dust in the hole showed 
■ this. Some sharp shooter on the other side 
had detected him, and watching his chance 
had planted abali in his brain as he was 
looking out. Tiiis, be it remembered, was 
but a very small part of the field of the 
previous Sunday's battle, which extended 
North and South of the turnpike for a mile 
or more. Similar scenes of horror, no 
doubt, could havebeen seen along that line, 
as well as on the eastern slope of the moun- 
tain, up which the Union forces pressed 
their way and strewed the ground with 
their dead and wounded. 

Looking about me as I stood amidst this 
scene of horrors, I saw that all my compa- 
ny had gone but Mr. Wampler. It was 
getting (Jark. The katydids were already 
lending their solemn dirge to the mourn- 
ful scene, and an occasional shot from the 
batteries of the two great armie;', whicli 
were manceavring for positions for the 
great battleof the ensuing day, came boom- 
ing up from tlie plain below, warning us 
tliat it was time for us (o hasten away and 
seek shelter for the night. Coming down 
the mountain we met a minister, a friend of 
mine, who had fled before the approach of 
the rebels, and had been with me the day 
before, and was now returning to his 
charge. I inquired of him where we could 
find lodging in Boonsboro in case the hotels 
were tilled. He told me to go to Mr. Lewis 
Watson and tel! him who I was and he 
would keep us. Poinding no place in tlie 
hotel, we went to Mr. Watson, and he 
kindly lodged Mr. Heyser and his son, Mr. 
Wampler and myself. In the morning, 
with the first appearance of daylight, the 
great battle of Antietam began. AVe were 
within about two miles of the scene of con- 
flict in the rear of the Union line. The 
sound of the artillery was fearful. It re- 
sembled a suscession of terrific discharges 
of thunder— scarcely a perceptible interval 
between them, and sometimes a half dozen 
or more at once. Mr, Watson told us that 
we should remain for breakfast, and when 
it was ready he called U3 into his parlor 



and handed me the Bible to lead in their 
family devotions. I motioned to him to 
give it to Mr, Heyser. Taking the Bible, 
Mr. Heyser read the 4Gth Psalm. Let the 
reader turn to that Psalm and read it and 
see how appropriate it was to the occasion. 
Amidst the terrific roar of two hundred 
pieces of artillery, which almost drowned 
his voice, he slowly, reverently, and with 
subdued tone, read the awfully significant 
words, "•7/ie heathen raged; the kincj- 
domsiuere moved; he uttered his voice; 
the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is 
ivithus; the God of Jacob is our refuge. 
Come., behold the works of the Lord, what 
desolations he hath made in the earth. He 
inaketh ivars to cease unto the end of the 
earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteh 
the spear in sunder ; he burneth the char- 
iot in the fire. Be still and know that I 
am. Ood.'" His prayer, which followed, 
was about as appropriate as the scripture 
he read. 

During part of the forenoon, while the 
great battle was in progress, I sat ui)on an 
eminence with a reporter of a New York 
paper. The field of battle was about tvvo 
miles below us. It was about four miles 
long. The circular flight of the shells, as 
they flew hither and thither, and the dash- 
ing to and fro of the cavalry, were dis- 
tinctly seen. With the aid of aglass some 
of the movements of the infantry were 
also visible. Tlie whole valley below us 
was like a seething caldron of fire, and 
smoke rose up and hung like a dark pall, 
as if heaven were shutting out the terrible 
scene. It seemed hard to realize that upon 
that bloody field nearly 200,0U0 men 
— the flower and chivalry of tbe North and 
South — were engaged with the most ap- 
proved weapons of destruction which mod- 
ern science had invented to destroy each 
other, and that each hour of that day six 
hundred human beings were sent into an 
awful eternity, and twice that number were 
crippled and maimed for life. And what 
was all this for ? Simply that a small part 
of our Nation might live upon the unre- 
quitted labor of their fellow men, and upon 
the part of the heroes of the Union, that 
"the government of the people, by the 
people^ and for the peo})le, should not per- 
ish from the earth.'' The destinj' of our 
government hung upon the issue of the 
struggle, and heaven gave the victory to 
the right. 

During the progress of the battle many 
wounded soldiers came from the bloody 
field. Some were bleeding from ghastly 
wounds and begrimed witli powder. They 
all told of the fearful whipping which the 
rebels were getting, and some told of the 
charging and counter-charging back and 
forth through the historic corn field, and 
about the Dunkard church. Occasionally 



Reminiscences of the War. 



I 



a wouuded officer would be brought from 
the field in an ambulance, and would be 
taken eastward over the mountain, tow- 
ard Frederick. In a field south of the 
town, and guarded by Union soldiers, 
were two or three hundred rebel prisoners. 

In conversation with a particular friend, 
Rev. W. R. Coursey, then a resident of 
Boonsboro, while the battle was in pro- 
gress, I asked him how he felt as to the 
probable issue of the conflict 'i We both 
knew that if the Union army was defeated, 
Baltimore and Washington would most 
likely be taken, and the whole Southern 
border of our State, a^ well as Maryland, 
be overrun and robbed by the victorious 
foe. Smilingly, he said, "I have no fear 
of the result. I saw both armies as they 
marched through here on Sunday and 
Monday, and the Boys in Blue are able to 
pick the rebels up one by one and smack 
them." He also related the following in- 
cident as word came from the field ot the 
death of Gen. Mansfield : "As Gen. Mans- 
field rode by my house on Monday, at the 
head of his^column, he said to Mrs. Cour- 
sey, as she stood at the door, 'Madam, 
would you have the kindness to make me a 
few biscuits for my supper?"' "Certain- 
ly, General, I will do so with pleasure." 
An Orderly was directed to remain for the 
biscuits which, in a short time, were 
ready for him. Two days afterward that 
veteran soldier sealed his devotion to his 
country by pouring out his life blood upon 
the field of battle. 

About four o'clock a number of paroled 
officers from Harper's Ferry came to 
Boonsboro, and with tbem I rode in a 
wagon, which we hired, to Hagerstown. 
There all was excitement. The artillery 
fire seemed almost as distinct as at Boons- 
boro, and it ceased only at dark. About 
nine or ten o'clock, the same night, I crept 
into one of the cars of a long train which 
had brought a regiment of volunteers from 
Philadelphia, and had a free ride toCham- 
bersburg. Two days after I in company with 
several others visited the field of Antie- 
tam, and saw there similar scenes to those 
witnessed at South Mountain. At the out- 
skirts of Keedysvihe we were stopped by 
the guard, and the officer in command 
said to another, who reported that he with 
about ten tliousand volunteers were en- 
camped about Hagerstown, "Why don't 
you come on here, and we will end this 
cursed war at once?" At that time, un- 
known to those in command of the Union 
forces, the rebels were crossing the Poto- 
mac. If a Grant, a Sherman, or Sheri- 
dan had been in command, the after bloody 
battles with the army of Northern Virgin- 
ia would have never occurred. The Poto- 
mac would have been its grave and wind- 
ing sheet. 



Immediately after the battle of Antietam 
many of the wounded who could bear 
transportion, were taken to the Hospitals 
at Washington, Baltimore, Frederick, Ha- 
gerstown and this place. About four hun- 
dred were brought here, and quartered in 
Franklin Hall, the large school house ad- 
joining the jail, and the Academy. A 
number of persons connected with the 
Christian Commission came to this place to 
look after the wounded. The ladies of the 
town, through their Aid Society, rendered 
invaluable services in distributing towels, 
handkerchiefs and delicacies. In this be- 
nevolent work they were aided by ladies 
from the country, and adjoining towns. 
Fayetteville had a Ladies' Aid Society 
which greatly assisted in caring for these 
wounded men, sending many delicacies. 
The Steward ofthe School House Hospital, 
on King street, Mr. George Bayne, made 
weekly acknowledgments, through the 
town papers, of articlesof food, &c. Among 
the names of the donors thus acknowl- 
edged are Mrs. Schofield, Mrs. Ebert,Mrs. 
Thompson, Mrs. Newman, Mrs. Nead, 
Mrs. Brewer, Mrs. Jordan, Mrs. Reeves, 
Mrs. Dr. Fisher, Mrs. Chambers, Mrs. Ra- 
debaugh, Mrs. Hutton, Mrs. Britton, Mrs. 
Hoke, Mrs. Trostle, Mrs. Sprecher, Mrs. 
Linn, Mrs. Long, Mrs. E. D. Reed, Mrs. 
Charles Eyster, Mrs. Wood, Mrs. Ritner, 
Lizzie Lester, Mrs. Banker, Mrs. Fry, 
Mrs. Lindsay, Mrs. W. Chambers, Mrs. 
Benj. Chambers, Miss Sarah Reynolds, 
Miss Sally Ann Chambers, Miss Susan B. 
Chambers, Mrs. Funk, Mrs. Embick, Mrs. 
Miller, Mrs. Grier, Mrs. Auld, Miss Lizzie 
Flack, Mrs. Hull, Mrs. Grove, Mrs. Mont- 
gomery, Mrs. Stumbaugh, Mrs. Wunder- 
lich, Mrs. Beatty,Mr.s. Eckart, Mrs. Stine, 
Mrs. Gellespie, Mrs. Nill, Mrs. McGrath, 
Mrs. Dechart, Mrs. Huber, Mrs. Spangler, 
Mrs. Sewell, Mrs. Fahnestock and Mrs. 
Perry. The foregoing names I have copied 
from the Steward's acknowledgments in 
the Vcdlej Spirit. If any have been omit- 
ted, the fault is not mine. This, it will be 
recollected, is a list of donors to that one 
hospital alone. The other two fared equal- 
ly as well. Affecting scenes were frequent- 
ly seen when persons would visit these 
hospitals in search of friends and relatives. 
Fathers from a distance would find a son 
with arm or limb amnutated, or otherwise 
wounded. Devoted wives would find their 
husbands maimed and suffering. A wo- 
man from Pliiladelphia came here to see 
after her husband. He was shot through 
the lung, and she found him in Franklin 
Hall Hospital. Situated next to the Hall 
we gave her a home. When her husband 
was able to be moved he was carried into 
our house, where his devoted wife cared 
for him. In a few weeks he was able to 
travel and his wife took him home. Some 



28 



Rcmiiiiscctices of the War 



(iiuo alter this iijy wife and 1, wbile walk- 
ing in Philadelphia, were somewhat sur- 
l)rised and confused by a woman rushing 
up and embracing and kissing us. She 
was that soldier's wife. We visited their 
home and saw her husband. He was able 
to work at his trade— book binding, but 
had a cough. His physician said bethought 
his lung was affected, and he was going 
into consumption. We never heard of him 
afterwards. The scenesofsufTering which 
occurred in these hospitals, and the tears 
which were shed over wounded, sick, dy- 
ing and dead soldiers, can never be told. 
Thej' are parts of the price paid for the 
perpetuity of the government. It was a 
fearful price, but the government is worth 
all it cost. 

A gentlemen came into our store shortly 
after the bringing of these wounded here. 
He was on his w^ay to the battle field. He 
requested me to go to each of the hospit- 
als here and take down the names of all 
the Massachusetts soldiers, with the nature 
of their wounds, and send the list to the 
Boston Journal. Soon after its publica- 
tion papers, letters, &c., came to me for 
some of these soldiers. About eight years 
after the war I was introduced to the Pres- 
ident of the Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciation in Dayton, Ohio. He said he had 
been in Chambersburg once, but under 
such circumstances that he knew but little 
of the place. He said he was a member of 
a Massachusetts regiment, and had been 
wounded at the battle of Antietam and 
brought here. I referred to the circum- 
stance of my visit, when he said he recol- 
lected it. Our acquaintance formed under 
such peculiar circumstances, was kept up 
for many years. He was afterwards trans- 



ferred to Baltimore to take charge of the 
Association there. About two years ago 
failing health comi)elled him to resign his 
position, after which he went back to Mas- 
sachusetts. 

Many occurrences of an interesting and 
touching character might be related, where 
scenes of suffering and death, amid the 
agonies and tears and prayers of newly ar- 
rived friends, took place in families 
throughout the town where wounded sol- 
diers were taken and cared for. I have 
been present on such occasions, and have 
knelt around dying beds where departing 
heroes were ebbing away their life, while 
fathers, mothers and brothers wept and 
sobbed, and then, wrapped in the folds of 
the flag they loved so well, and for which 
they gave their lives, their lifeless bodies 
were borne back to desolated homes. Space 
however forbids these details. 

NOTK. — Shice tlie publication of tlie forego- 
ing, some persons have said tliat the ahirni 
which occasionedj the ringing of the Court 
House bell, and the pUmting of the cannon in 
and about the Diamond, occurred at a later pe- 
riod, probably sometime before the Invasion, 
or at the time of Early's raid across the Poto- 
mac. I have had written records by which to 
tix the dates of all the events referred to except 
this one circumstance, and I may have erred in 
placing it. If 1 have not fixed the precise time 
upon which it occurred, then it must have been 
prior to Lee's invasion. 

I should have stated in this chapter that du- 
ring the iieriod of excitement prior to the battle 
of Antietam, certain per.sons Avere empowered 
to press horses for the use of the military, and 
many horses were taken from the farmers and 
others, some of which were never returned nor 
paid for. ' 



CHAPTER VII. 



Stuart's Raid. 



In consequence of the defeat of the rebels 
at the battles of South Mountain and 
Antietam, and their retreat to the south 
bank of the Potomac, all fears for the 
safety of the border for that time subsided, 
and our town settled down to its usual 
quiet. By the first of October the military 
called here to defend the State from inva- 
sion had all returned to their homes, and 
the only visible evidences of the recent 
exciting scenes through which we had 
passed, was the presence among us of 
about four hundred sick and wounded 
soldiers in the three hospitals named in 



the previous chapter. These were care- 
fully attended by the surgeons and stew- 
ards left in charge, as well as by our own 
people and those in the country and 
neighboring towns. The Ladies Aid 
Society, comprising many of the persons 
named in the previous chapter, was 
unremitting in its attentions to these sick 
and wounded patriots. The ladies com- 
posing this organization visited the hos- 
pitals daily, and supplied freely such 
delicacies as were needed, and not fur- 
nished by the regular service. Once in a 
while one of these soldiers died, and his 



Rcminisccna's of tJic War. 



Iiody was eitLer lukeii away by frieuds, or 
buried with military honors in our beauti- 
ful cemetery. Between us and the defeated 
hosts of rebellion stood the grand army of 
the Potomac, constituting, as we supposed, 
an impassible barrier through, or around 
which, no one dreamed of the foe passing. 
Those of our citizens who had gone to 
distant places upon the approach of the 
foe, had returned. Merchandize and other 
valuables which had been sent away, or. 
secreted, had been brought back. Our 
stores, shops, and other places of business 
had been reopened, and freshly stocked to 
meet the demands of customers. All was 
quiet, not only along the Potomac, but 
along the Conococheague. But another 
danger was about to burst upon us, and 
we knew it not. It came unheralded, and 
as a sudden clap of thunder out of a cloud- 
less sky. Its very unexpectedness added 
to the alarm which it occasioned. 

On Friday, Oct. loth, rain fell all day. 
Business as a consequence was dull, and I 
took advantage of the dullneos tore-arrange 
some things which I had just brought 
back from the places where they had been 
sent upon the approach of the foe. A 
gentleman from Mercersburg had been in 
the store during the afternoon, and was 
telling of the fright which had been occa- 
sioned a few days previously by some mis- 
chievous ones by getting up a story of the 
rebels coming. He laughed heartily over 
the ludicrousness of the aflfair; but his 
laughter was turned into consternation 
when he fell into the hands of the raiders 
on his way home. 

About half past four o'clock in the 
afternoon, a soldier rode up to the front of 
our store, and hitching his horse came in. 
He was a splendid specimen of a man. 
Tall— about six feet, well shaped and mus- 
cular, he looked the very ideal of a soldier. 
He had on a blue overcoat, but the balance 
of his clothing was decidedly butternut. 
A saber dangled at his side, and pistols 
were in his holsters, and probably about 
his person. He walked up to the counter 
and asked for a pair of socks. While 
selecting a pair, seemingly in no hurry, 
he took in the whole store. I said to him, 
" Are you from the Army of the Potomac ?" 
"No sir," said he, "I'm from Virginia; 
just from the sod." When he handed me 
a piece of silver in payment for his pur- 
chase, my suspicions "were confirmed. — 
After another survey of the contents of 
the store, he went out, mounted his horse 
and rode away. That he was a rebel, and 
a scout from the approaching foe, there 
can be no question. After gathering the 
information of the defenceless condition 
of the town, he doubtless carried the 
information to his commanding otlicer. — 
That others may have visited other parts 
of the town is altogether probable. 



1 think it can bo shown, us it will bo in 
their appropriate places in these reminis- 
cences, that before every appearance of the 
rebels in force across our borders, they 
were preceded by scouts. One of these 
visited one of the camps south of the town 
previous to Jenkin's Raid, in June 186:5. 
And it will be recollected by some of our 
older citizens, that in the fall of 1864, after 
the destruction of the town by tire. Gen. 
Couch, then in command of the Depart- 
ment of the Susquehanna, with heail- 
quarters in this place, called a public 
meeting of the citizens in the basement of 
the M. E. Church — the Court House and 
other public buildings having been burnt, 
and there informed us that the rebels were 
about to make another raid ; that the usual 
indications of such an intention were 
evident, and that we should not only arm 
and organize for their reception, but put 
our merchandize and valuables in places 
of safety. The indications which pointed 
to this intended raid, were the arrest of 
several suspicious persons travelling along 
the railroad from Hagerstown to Har- 
risburg. 

During the afternoon of the day in 
question — the day of Stuart's raid — some 
five or six soldiers rode up to the front of 
Mr. Bratton's hotel, four miles west of 
town. After some consultation with Mr. 
Bratton, one of them said, "Are you for 
the Union, or the rebels ?" Mr. Bratton 
supposing them to be Union soldiers, said, 
"Well boys, get off and come in, and if 
you will keep old Jackson away, I will 
treat." "Are you afraid of old Jackson ?" 
said one. "No, I'm not afraid, but the 
women are." "Well," said another, after 
they had taken a drink, "We are rebels." 
And to convince the old gentleman they 
unbuttoned their blue overcoats and dis- 
played the rebel gray. 

At about G o'clock in the evening, Mr. 
Samuel Etter came in the store and said, 
"Well, the rebels are coming now for cer- 
tain." Mr. Anthony Hollar, then in our 
employ, said, "No sir, that's all played 
out; youcan'tcomethatoverus." "Well. 
if you don't believe it, go over to Judge 
Kiramell's office and see for yourselves. 
There's two men there from St. Thomas 
who saw the rebels, and were chased by 
them half ways to town." Fearing that I 
would be laughed at were I to appear to 
credit this story, and yet half believing it, 
I went out the back door and went around 
to the Judge's office, and there saw Mr. 
David A. Fohl and Daniel Stitzel, of St. 
Thomas, who assured us of the fact of the 
rebels coming. Mr. Fohl, who is employed 
in the office of IVIr. McKinley, of the Mont- 
gomery Hotel in this place, gives me the 
following statement of this occurrence. — 
Information of the coming of the rebels 



;o 



Reminiscences of the War. 



was sent to St. Thomas from near Loudon 
by Mr. John Mullen. Immediately upon 
the reception of this news, the church 
bells were rung-, and the Home Guards — 
about twenty-five men, turned out. Mr. 
Fohl rode to the hill at the lower end of 
the town, and from it saw the pike from 
the bridge where Mr. Campbell lived, as 
far back as he could see, crowded with 
rebel soldiers. He at once rode back to 
town, made some hurried preparations, 
and, joined by Mr. Stitzel, rode rapidly 
for Chambersburg, pursued for several 
miles by some of the foe. 

Assured of the fact of the approach of 
the rebels, I hastily returned to our store 
and closed it, and went up stairs to one of 
the front windows to see the coming 
invaders. 

About this time the Court House beii 
was rung as the signal for the gathering 
of our Home Guards. A supply of muskets 
was procured from one of the warehouses, 
where a number had been stored, and the 
command— about fifty or seventy-live in 
number— under Captain John Jeffries, 
started across tlie Diamond and down 
Market Street. As the head of the column 
reached the bridge, they met a squad of 
probably twenty-live cavalry, the one in 
advance having a stick with a white hand- 
kerchief attached to it. A bugler riding 
by his side sent out the first notes from 
rebel lips yet heard in our town. "Halt," 
cried Captain Jeftries, "Who are you, and 
by what autiiority do you come here V" 
"■By the authority of the Confederate 
Army and Gen. Hampton. He wants to 
see tiie authorities ot tlie town." "There 
are no authorities here &ir, they are all 
left." About this time Captain John 
Eyster, who had bfen in actual service, 
said, "Capt Jeffries, these men have a 
flag of truce, and it must be respected. — 
Take them to Judge Kiramell's office." 
Mr. Jeffries informed me that he saw a 
dirty white rag on the end of a stick, but 
he didn't know what the^ thunder that 
was for. About this time the Home 
Guards, seeing their inability to defend 
the place, scattered to their homes and 
secreted their arms. Coming up through 
the Diamond, the flag was hastily lowered 
and carried away by Mr. George Snyder, 
and the rope cut so that the hated rebel 
rag should not* wave from that pole. Men 
usually like to be complimented by some 
title, as Esquire, or Colonel, or Captain, 
but the captain of the Home Guard on 
that occasion thought that it would not 
be healthy to be called by that title in the 
presence of the enemy, and when some 
one addressed him as "Captain Jeffries," 
that worthy officer exclaimed, "For 
gracious sake, men, don't call me captain 
here." He worthily wears that title now, 



ami, I suppose, ever shall while he lives. 
As the rebel squad rode into the Diamond, 
the bugle sounded out its shrill notes, an- 
nouncing to our people that the foe was 
truly in our midst. They rode over to 
the front of Judge KimmelPs office, and 
one or twodismounted and went in. When 
in the Judge's office these men assured 
those present, Col. A. K. McClure. Mr. T. 
B. Kennedy, and a few others, that Gen. 
Wade Hampton, with a force of about 
twenty-eight hundred men, with four 
pieces of artillery, were on the hill west 
of the town and demanded its surrender. 
The Judge said, "Well, we don't like to 
surrender without knowing the truth of 
what you say." The officer in command 
then said, "Well, gentlemen, a number of 
you accompany us to the west end of the 
town, and you will see for yourselves." — 
That officer's name, Judge Kimmell 
thinks, was "Snodgi'ass." Judge Kim- 
mell, Col. McClure and Mr. T. B. Ken- 
nedy procured horses and accompanied 
the guard out west Market Street to the 
brow of the hill this side of the Western 
Hotel, ond were there introduced to Gens. 
Wade Hampton and J. E. B. Stuart. — 
This was tlie first intimation they had 
that General Stuart was along with the 
invaders — his name not having been pre- 
vioosly mentioned. After the formalities 
of the introduction. Judge Kimmell 
inquired : "Well General, What is it that 
.ycMi want?" "The unconditional surren- 
der of the place." "But what about 
unarmed citizens and women and chil- 
dren ?" "You know that we do not wage 
war against surih." "How about jirivate 
property?" "That will l)e I'espected." — 
At this'juncture Col. McClure said, "Well 
General, we are without protection, and of 
course can otTer no resistance, and your 
terms must beaccepted." J udge Kimmell 
then proposed that they would return to 
the centre of the town, and disperse what- 
ever persons might be collected and might 
make trouble. To this the Gen. assented, 
but immediately put the column in motion 
and its head en'tered the Diamond as soon 
as they did. The whole command— said 
to be about 2800. with four jneces of artil- 
lery, filed through the Diamond, some 
remaining there, and others going out to 
picket all the roads leading to the town. 
Simultaneously almost with theentrance 
of these troops, the telegrapli wires were 
cut, and the bakeries and warehouses 
where flour was stored visited and cleaned 
out of their contents. The knowledge 
which they possessed of the location of 
these places, and the full acquaintance 
they evinced of the by-roads by which 
they came and departed, indicated the 
presence among them of one or more per- 
sons entirely familiar with our town and 



Reminiscences of the War 



31 



county. We have heard the name of la 
person, then a citizen of the county, used 
in that infamous connection, but teariny; 
to do him injustice in the absence of posi- 
tive knowledge, his name is withheld. — 
His previous record would strengthen the 
conviction of his guilt. Officers were also 
detailed to parole the sick and wounded in 
the hospitals. Some of the soldiers imme- 
diately put on their best clothing, saying 
that if any was taken it should be their 
old. In Franklin Hail were a number of 
colored men, who, a short time previous, 
had escaped from the rebel army. These 
were terribly alarmed and hid themselves 
up under the roof in the attic. A number 
of officers a'.so visited the bank and 
demanded the money in its vault. Mr. 
Messersmith, the cashier, unlocked the 
door and led them into the vault and 
showed them a few pennies — all it con- 
tained. The specie had, upon the approach 
of the enemy a month or two previously, 
been stored in Philadelphia; and between 
the time when the news of the approach 
of the foe was received, and their entrance 
into the town, Mr. Messersmith had wisely 
carried away and secreted all the money 
in the vault, excepting some small change. 
When the othcers saw this change, one of 
them said that such a poor bank liad better 
be helped than any thing taken from it. 
With the exceptions of the bakeries, ware- 
houses, and a few shops entered without the 
knowledge of the officers, the terms of 
surrender were respected and private 
property unmolested." 

As one of the amusing evidences of the 
unexpectedness of this raid, the following 
occurrence, communicated by Mr. P. D. 
Frey, one of the participants, is given. 
A political meeting was announced to be 
held at Marion, and the Chambersburg 
Band was sent there to furnish music for 
the occasion. But owing to the inclemen- 
cy of the weather (the rain) or some other 
cause unknown to the gentlemen compos- 
ing the Band, not a single speaker put in 
au appearance, and but few spectators 
were present. After treating the slim 
audience to a few pieces of excellent 
music, and no one appearing to address 
the meeting, the party started for home. 
There were present on that occasion. 
Messrs. H. B. Hatnick, L>. M. Eiker, J. 
W. Leedy, P. D. Frey, George Gruce, 
Godfrey Snyder, and a musician from 
Cumberland, Md. The hack in which 
they rode and the two fine animals by 
which it wa^ drawn, were owned by Mr. 
Samuel F. (,Treenawalt, who also drove 
for them. When about three miles from 
Chambersburg, they met Mr. Frederick 
Walk, who told them that the rebels 
were in town, and that according to the 
terms of surrender private property was to 



be respected, but hoi'ses and all public 
property were liable to seizure. A council 
was held, and the musicians decided to 
walk to town and Mr. Greeuawalt should 
not enter but take his team to a place of 
safety. This Mr. G. refused to do, and 
drove on towards town. When they 
reached the school house on the hill on 
the Slaughenhaup farm, about a half mile 
from the edge of the town, they were com- 
manded to halt by a rebel vidette. After 
ascertaining who the party were and 
where i\\^y were going, they were allowed 
to pass on. After proceeding a short dis- 
tance they were again halted. At this 
point the road and adjoining fields were 
filled with men and horses and several 
pieces of artillery. Gen. Hampton in 
command then was called, and after satis- 
fying himself that the story told by the 
men was true, he allowed them to proceed 
and ordered the road to be cleared for 
them — himself riding by the side ot the 
carriage. Upon reaching the Diamond 
the names of the party were taken and 
they were paroled to appear at Gen. 
Stuart's headquarters at 6 o'clock in the 
morning. Mr. Greenawalt was about to 
drive his team into the alley leading to 
his livery, when an officer ordered him to 
drive over to the old depot where Gen. 
Stuart was at that time. Arriving there 
the rebels were about to appropriate his 
horses, but Mr. Greenawalt pleaded to be 
permitted to take them to his stable and 
give them one more "good, last supper." 
He was allowed to do so under promise 
that he would turn them over in the 
morning. No sooner, however, had he 
driven under his carriage shed, than the 
harness was stripped off and the animals 
were taken up an alley as far as German 
street, and ihen turning east he went out 
what is called "long lane." Fortunately 
there were no pickets to intercept him in 
that lane, and he succeeded in savinghis 
valuable hor.ses. It is needless to say that 
the gentlemen composing the Band failed 
to put in their appearance to Gen. Stuart 
the next morning, for had they done so, 
they might have been held for the deliv- 
ery of the horses. 

Gen. Stuart and other officers lodged 
that night at the Franklin Hotel. Among 
the guests was an officer — a Colonel or 
Lieut. Colonel — whose term of service had 
expired, and he had with him his papers 
certifying to that fact. His papers were 
respected. Gen. Stuart observing that he 
was gratified that his papers were all right, 
otherwise their relations would be differ- 
ent. Encouraged by his treatment, the 
officer told the General that he would like 
to have some conversation with him, and 
in the presence of J. W. Douglass, Esq., 
in aside room of the hotel, he put in a 



Reniinisccnccs of the JA^ar. 



plea for the return of bis horse — a very 
valuable animal — which had been taken. 
To this Gen. Stuart replied, "We are not 
horse thieves, nevertheless we do want 
liorses, and shall have to retain yours." 
The General, Mr. Douglass says, was in 
excellent humor and very lively. 

This body of Cavalry, under that dash- 
ing leader, who had made a successful raid 
around Gen. McCIellan's army upon the 
Peninsula near Richmond, was upon a 
similar movement around the same army 
and under the same commander. It cross- 
ed the Potomac above Williamsport at 
Cherry Run Ford, and made a rapid 
march through Mercersburg, thence by 
Bridgeport to the Pittsburg pike, which 
it entered a short distance west of the gate 
iiouse beyond St. Thomas, and from that 
point to Chambersburg. Previous to 
reaching this place the rebels, for some 
cause unknown, captured Perry A. Rice, 
Esq., Daniel Shaffer, C. Louderbaugh, 
John McDowell, George G. Rupley and 
George Steiger, of Mercersburg ; Joseph 
Wingert, Post Master at Clay Lick Hall, 
and William Conner, of St. Thomas. 
Steiger escaped at Bridgeport. McDowell, 
Rupley, Louderbaugh and Wingert were 
either released or made their escape here, 
and Rice, Shaffer and Conner were taken 
to Richmond and incarcerated in Libby 
prison. Shaffer and Conner were after- 
wards exchanged and returned home. 
Rice died in imprisonment. Mr. Rice 
lodged the night the rebels were here in 
the Franklin Hotel, and was importuned 
by some of our citizens to make his escape 
but he did not. The last we saw of him 
he was seated upon a caisson in front of 
the Mansion House. He formerly studied 
law in Chambersburg, and was esteemed 
by all who knew him. In passing through 
Fairfield, Adams county, one or two citi- 
zens of that place were also captured, but 
in the excitement of crossing the Potomac 
into Virginia, they escaped. The reason 
why none of our citizens were taken was 
])robably because the terms of the surren- 
der of the town exempted citizens from 
molestation. It was said, however, that 
pressing inquiries were made for the post 
master here, but that official was prudent- 
ly absent. 

On the following morning — Saturday — 
the raiders took their departure eastward 
across the South Mountain. Before leav- 
ing a guard was detached to burn the 
Depot House, the Machine Shops, and the 
Warehouse of Messrs Wunderlich & Nead. 
The latter was burnt because it contained 
the ammunition taken from Gen. Long- 
street. In this warehouse and in some 
cars upon the siding, were a considerable 
amount of government stores, consisting of 
clothing, hats, bootf , pistols, &c. As much 



of these as the guard could carry were 
taken with them. Some soldiers had on 
as many as three hats. After the guard 
departed some of our citizens endeavored 
to save the burning buildings, and adjoin- 
ing property, but they were much annoy- 
ed by the exploding shells. These did not 
go off at once as some feared, but gradual- 
ly as the fire reached them. Fearing for 
the safety of the sick and wounded in the 
lower end of the town, in case the whole 
of the ammunition in the burning ware- 
house would explode at once, many of the 
ladies who had been ministering to their 
necessities went to their assistance, and at 
the usual hour at noon these good Samari- 
tans bad dinner prepared for these men. 

Upon the reception of the information 
at army headquarters of this raid, a strong 
cavalry force was despatched from the 
army of the Potomac near Sharpsburg to 
the fords ot the Potomac at Williamsport 
and Cherry Run. And when it was as- 
certained tliat the raiders had gone east, 
another force was sent in that direction to 
intercept them, but they came up only in 
time to see the last of the raiding force 
cross the river below Frederick. A regi- 
ment of Vermont soldiers, with a battery 
of four field pieces, also came hereon Sun- 
day. They took their position in Shetter's 
woods, along the Baltimore pike, east of 
the town. The artillery was planteil or\ 
the hill a little beyond their encampment. 
On Monday about noon a report reached 
town that the rebels had been intercepted 
east of the mountain and were coming 
back. The bank, stores and shops were 
closed, and many of our citizens armed 
themselves and joined the soldiers upon 
the outskirts of the town. Horseman 
after horseman came dashing in from 
towards Fayette vi He, announcing the ap- 
proach of the enemy. No one, however, 
saw them, but had their information from 
some one else. At length the scare subsi- 
ded, the people returned to town and 
resumed business, and as soon as it was 
ascertained that the raiders had crossed 
back into Virginia, the soldiers were 
recalled. One of the men of this Vermont 
regiment, a year or two ago, visited our 
town as a minister of the gospel, and went 
out to Shetter's woods — then Messer- 
smith's — and viewed the place where be 
was encamped. 

(ien. Stuart took with him, as was sup- 
posed, about 1,(1(1(1 horses from Franklin 
county. 

On 'Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 18th, the 
town was again thrown into a state of 
excitement by the report that another 
rebel raid was about bursting upon us. 
The information was that a strong rebel 
force was seen near Loudon, and was 
advancing towards Chambersburg. This 



Rcniiniscetices of the War. 



.">0 



report was soon backed up by unotlier 
statement that one of our citizens bad been 
up tbe pike and bad been turned back by 
them. The last person named said he did 
not see the rebels, but had been advised by 
some one to turn back as it was reported 
that the rebels were up the road. Tlie 
Public Square by this time was pretty 
well filled with people, discussing the 
probabilities of the truth of the rumor, 
and casting anxious glances in a westward 
direction. A number of farmers living 
west of the town, came in, bringing their 
horses wdth them and passing on to a 
place of safety. The soldiers encamped on 
the Fair Grounds west of the town, being 
without arms and ammunition, were 
ordered to strike their tents and leaye. 
They passed through town and down 
lielow Scotland. Courier after courier was 
despatched in the direction of the rumored 
approaching foe, but they returned with 
the story that they did not see the rebels, 
but some one told them ihat some one else 
had told him that a man up the road had 
heard that they were coming. At last it 
was ascertained that the whole affair 
originated in several children having said 
that they saw some cavalrymen up in 
the neighborhood of Loudon. They were 
Union cavalry engaged in purchasing 
horses for the use of the Government. 

The last raid of the season, and before 
the excitements of the summer and fall had 
given way to the quiet of winter, was by a 
single person, and that person a woman. 
On Friday, Nov. 21st, a somewhat singu- 
lar looking woman made her appearance 
in town. She came by the Western turn- 
pike, mounted on a venerable looking 
gray horse. Her dress and general ap- 
pearance indicated that she was a stranger 
in this section of the country. On alight- 
ing and securing her horse to an awning 
post on Main street, she proceeded to 
several of our drug stores and made exten- 



sive purchases of (luinine, morphine, 
opium, &c. Suspicion being excited that 
she was purchasing these articles for pur- 
poses unallowable during war, she was 
arrested by order of Capt. Ashmead, A. 
Q. M., then on duty here, and searched, 
when several hundred dollars worth of 
these drugs were found concealed in secret 
recesses of her dress. This woman had 
spent the night previous at the hotel of 
Mr. Josiah Allen, three miles west of the 
town, where she stated that she was in 
search of several horses whicli had been 
taken by the rebels from her father in 
Virginia, and having heard that a number 
had been turned loose by Stuart's cavalry 
in this section, she thought that she 
might possibly find her father's among 
them. She had in her possession a pass 
from Gen. Banks, dated about a year pre- 
vious. This woman was ascertained to be 
a Mrs. Sloan, and that her residence was 
near Winchester, Virginia. She was sent 
to jail for a while and was subsequently 
discharged. 

The people of Chambersburg have often 
been found fault with for not rising up 
and repelling this raid of Gen. Stuart. 
Those that thus blame us fail to remember 
that a large part of our able bodied men 
were away from home in their country's 
service, and that at most we could not 
have raised more than a few hundred per- 
sons. These, without organization, arms 
and discipline, would have been of but lit- 
tle account against twenty-eight hundred 
armed, disciplined and experienced sol- 
diers, backed hy four pieces of artillery. 
And liad resistance by citizens been un- 
dertaken, it would not only have been 
injudicious and fool-liardy, but would 
have subjected them, our whole popula- 
tion of women and children and their 
homes and property, to destruction and 
plunder. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



Jenkixs' Eaid. 



Throughout the winter of 18G2-3, quiet 
prevailed in Chambersburg and along the 
border, interrupted only by the usual 
recruiting and the presence of considerable 
number of soldiers in our midst, the dis- 
heartening influence of the repulse of our 
army at Fredericksburg, and the occasional 
bringing to this place of some one of its 
fallen sons for interment. One of these 
fallen ones was John S. Oaks, son of our 



former fellow townsman, David Oaks, 
Esq. John S. Oaks was a member of 
Captain Dabbler's company from this 
place, and connected with the 12Gth 
Regiment of Pennsjdvania Volunteers. — 
He was wounded at the battle of Freder- 
icksburg, Virginia, and taken to one of 
the Hospitals in Washington', w'here on 
Thursday, Dec. 25th, in the presence of 
his sorrowing father and mother, who bad 



54 



Rcniiuisccnccs of the War 



hastened tu bis bedside upon tbe reception 
of tbe news of bis presence tbere, he died. 
His body was subsequently brought to this 
place, and on tbe afternoon of the 8abbatli 
following, Dec. list h, followed by a large 
concourse of citizens and soldiers, he was 
interred in Cedar Grove Cemetery. 

Immediately after tbe battle of Chancel- 
lorsville. and tbe falling back of tbe 
Union Army to tbe north bank of tbe 
Rappahannock, tbe authorities at Wash- 
ington were convinced from tbe aggressive 
movements of the enemy, and from papers 
captured from General Stuart's command, 
that another i nvasion north of tbe Potomac 
was contemplated. Early in the month 
of June this aggressive movement was 
begun, and the rebel hordes again passed 
into the Shenandoah Valley, and marched 
northward. 

On Saturday, June loth, the divisions 
of Rhodes and Early of Ewell's Corps, lead- 
ing the advance of Lee's army on its way 
to tbe invasion of the State, reached Win- 
chester, Va. , and after a series of battles last- 
ing two days, defeated Gen. Milroy, who 
with a force of 8,000 or 10,000 men occupied 
that place. Milroy's army was driven in 
confusion from Winchester and about 2,000 
infantry and cavalry succeeded in crossing 
the Potomac and reaching Bloody Run in 
Bedford Co., Pennsylvania. The General 
with several hundred men and a consider- 
able train of wagons reached Harper's 
Ferry. The wagons were sent by way of 
Hagerstown and Chambersburg down to 
Harrisburg to prevent them from falling 
into the bands of the pursuing rebels. — 
This remnant of Milroy's army were 
reorganized at Bloody Run, and, joined 
by recruits from the Pennsylvania militia, 
they stood guard over tbe upper fords of 
tbe Potomac. 

On Sunday evening, June 14tb, infor- 
mation was received of the disaster to our 
forces in tbe Valley, and the approach of 
the enemy. Immediately, as upon former 
occasions, when news of rebel approaches 
were received, great confusion and excite- 
ment prevailed. Tbe usual work of send- 
ing away and secreting merchandise and 
other valuables was begun. We opened 
our store and packed and sent away some 
of our goods ; and during the next day we 
stored the balance of our stock in a beer 
vault, under the back building of the 
residence of Dr. Langheim, adjoining our 
store. The railroad men here were also 
prompt to prepare for the emergency, and 
by noon of Monday bad all their portable 
property ready for shipment at their 
pleasure. 

On this day^ Monday, 15th, we witnessed 
thegreatest excitement which had occurred 
up to that time during all the history of 
the war. Large numbers of colored per- 



sons, as at tbe timeof (ien. Bank's retreat, 
men, women and children, came stream- 
ing through the town, bearing with them 
articles of clothing, furniture, «tc. Horses, 
wagons, and cattle crowded every avenue 
of escape northward. About ten o'clock 
in the morning, tbe advance of General 
Milroy's retreating wagon train came dash- 
ing down Main Street, attended by a few 
cavalry and affrighted wagon-masters, all 
of whom declared that tbe rebels were in 
close pursuit ; that a large part of the train 
had been captured, and that the enemy 
were about to enter Chambersburg. This 
startling information, coming from men 
who had fought valiantly until tbe enemy 
had got nearly within sight of them, 
naturally gave a fresh impetus to our 
citizens, and the rush from town assumed 
immense proportions. As these wagons, 
drawn by tired and jaded horses, came 
dashing down Main Street, the drivers 
alternately lashing their teams and looking 
back to see if the foe was within sight, the 
scene of terror and confusion was perfectly 
terrifie. Said one whose courage never 
failed during all the excitements of tbe 
war, up to that event, and afterwards to 
its close, "Ol all the exciting events which 
have taken place since the beginning of 
the war, this is tbe worst, and I hope I 
may never witness such an awful scene 
again." Near the corner of Main and 
Queen streets, a horse dropped dead ; and 
when opposite our store one of the team- 
sters stopped, and in order to lighten his 
load that be might go faster, took from 
his wagon and set upon the side waliv a 
large box, with tbe remark, "Take care of 
that." It proved to be the regimental 
chest of a New York Regiment, and con- 
tained some parts of a uniform, blanks for 
company reports, books on military tac- 
tics, &c. In a communication to tbe 
New York Tribune, after the falling 
back of Gen. Jenkins, giving a detailed 
statement of his operations while here, I 
noticed this chest and gave the regiment 
it belonged to. The only application my 
article brought was from an officer to 
ascertain whether it contained a photo- 
graph, with instructions where to send it. 
It was not in tbe chest. The chest was 
finally turned over to Provost Marshall 
Eyster. 

At length, and when tbe panic was at 
its height, Lieut. Palmer, then on Provost 
duty here, advanced from the front of the 
Franklin Hotel, pistol in hand, and 
ordered the teamsters to halt. This dter- 
mined act of a cool and brave officer 
brought tbe whole column of panic stricken 
soldiers and teamsters to a halt, after which 
they w^ere permitted to proceed slowly down 
the valley towards Harrisburg. This stam- 
pede, it was said, occurred near the Poto- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



15 



mac, and broken wagons and dead or 
exhausted horses were strewn all along 
the way to this place. The rebels however 
were not within twenty miles of them, 
for at 10} A. M., near the time this train 
reached our town, Gen. Jenkins entered 
and passed through Hagerstown, 

At an early hour in the evening of this 
day, information of the approach of Jenk- 
ins' cavalry was received, and about 11 
o'clock at night they had reached the 
southern end of the town. Some few were 
sent forward to reconnoiter, and two of 
them were unhorsed and captured in the 
Diamond, as will be related in its proper 
place. About tvyo hundred more were 
detailed to make a rapid charge into the 
town after those scouts, and these were 
immediately followed by the balance of 
the command — about 2,000 in all. 

Seated at an open window in the second 
story of our house over our store room, 
and overlooking the Diamond, I heard 
the clatter of horses' feet coming rapidiy 
down Main Street. When opposite the 
residence of Mr. H. M. White the report 
of a gun was heard. Some eight or ten 
cavalrymen rode into the Diamond and 
passed through it on down Main Street, 
except about four or five. In the dark- 
ness—the gas in front of the bank only 
being lighted, they became separated, and 
one of them, evidently the officer in com- 
mand, who was over near the bank, called 
out in a peculiarly Southern tone, which 
is about half negro — "'Hawkins ! Hawk- 
ins I ! Whar theD — 1 are you, Hawkins ?" 
1/ Lieut. Smith— for such was the gentle- 
man's name, as will appear hereafter, 
had called upon John Seiders and Thad. 
Mahon instead of his Satanic majesty, 
they might have given him the informa- 
tion he so earnestly desired, but they were 
about that time having a little matter of 
business transacted with "Hawkins" over 
on the Court House pavement. But the 
Lieutenant's anxiety concerning his friend 
was soon relieved, for on his going across 
the Diamond to ascertain what had become 
of him. he fell into the hands of Seiders, 
and soon thereafter joined the object of his 
anxiety, both of them however horseless 
and without arms. 

Following this call for his absent com- 
rade, the officer again called out, "Whar's 
the Mayau of this town V Whar's the 
Mayau of this town ? If the Mayau does 
not come here in live minutes we will 
burn the town." In a short time the two 
hundred detailed to follow these scouts 
came thundering down Main street, fol- 
lowed by the balance of the command. 
The larger part passed on through the town 
and out to the grounds of Col. ISIcClure, 
along the Philadelphia pike, where they 
picketed their horses in the Colonel's 



clover field. Gen. Jenkins and his staff 
did the Colonel the honor to lodge with 
him over night at his fine mansion, after 
first partakinsr of a bountiful supper pre- 
pared for them — the honors of the table 
being royally done by his accomplished 
wife, in the absence of the Colonel, who 
had discretely placed himself beyond the 
possibility of capture and sojourn in a 
Southern clime. Leaving Jenkins and 
his staff so comfortably quartered for the 
night, we will go back to relate some inci- 
dents which occurred in and about the 
Diamond. 

As the scouts came galloping down 
Main street, with carbines levelled 
and cocked, the darkness prevented 
them from seeing some piles of stones, 
lime and sand in front of Mr. H. M. 
White's residence, then being built, ang 
one of tlie horses stumbled and threw his 
rider into a mortar bed. This fall caus- 
ed his carbine to go off, and he, as well as 
the cavalry with him, supposed that a 
citizen had fired on them. Simultaneous- 
ly with the report of this carbine Mr. 
Jacob S. Brand, then living where Mr. 
Isaac Stine's grocery now is, threw open 
the shutters of a second story window to 
see what was transpiring. Some cavalry, 
then opposite this window, hearing the 
opening of these shutters, cried out that 
the shot came from that place, and a 
number of them went to the door seeking 
admittance, and declaring that they would 
hang the man who fired the shot. Mrs. 
Brand became greatly alarmed and urged 
her husband to go up into the attic and 
hide himself. At length to gratify her he 
complied, but finding his hiding place so 
very warm, and concluding that if the 
house was searched and he found secre- 
ted, their suspicions would be confirmed, 
he came forth from the attic. But as the 
soldiers were yet at his door clamoring 
for entrance, and threatening to break in, 
he at the urgent solicitation of his wife 
crept into a bake oven in his yard, and 
drew to the iron door. But if the attic 
was too warm for him the oven was too 
hot, for that same day it had been used to 
bake bread, i^fter shifting himself from 
one hand and knee to the other until he 
could endure it no longer, he once more 
came forth to brave the foe. In the early 
morning a member of Mr. John Jeffries' 
family, a few doors adjacent, came over 
and inquired the occasion of the wrath of 
the rebels, saying that they were over- 
heard to declare that as soon as it was 
daylight they were going to search the 
house and hang the men they might find. 
These ladies then hit upon the expedient of 
disguising Mr. Brand and having him leave 
the house. Accordingly he was arrayed 
in one of Mrs. Brand's dresses, and a large, 



Reminiscences of the War. 



flowing sun bonnet was put upon his head 
to hide his beard. In this disguise he 
went out the back door, passed up the lot 
in the presence of the toe, many of whom 
were in the alley, and crossed over to the 
residence of Mr. Jeffries where he was 
disrobed, and where he was undisturbed. 
Like Jeff. Davis Mr. Brand found his last 
ditcli in a woman's clothes: but, unlike 
that arch traitor, he passed undetected. 
Whether his better luck was owing to his 
more elaborate toilet, or to the fact that he 
had unsuspecting Southern rebels to deal 
with rather than shrewd, inquisitive 
Northern Yankees, or to his huge sun 
bonnet I am unable to say. I rather thinlc 
that it was the sun bonnet that did the 
business. The situation of Mr. Brand 
was an alarming one, and he availed him- 
self of the only mettiod of escape which 
presented itself; and for this he is indebt- 
ed to the ingenuity of women. Mr. 
Brand says that while it will look "a little 
rough" to see this circumstance in print, 
he yet consents that it may be so used as 
an historical fact, and as soing to show 
some of the dangers to which our people 
were exposed in those perilous times. 
Shortly after the entrance of the advanced 
pickets into the Diamond, and while some 
of them were yet back at the door of Mr. 
Brand, threatening vengeance upon him, 
a cavalryman rode up to Mr. John A. 
Seiders and T. M. Mahon, Esq., as they 
stood upon the Court House jiavement, 
and, supposing them to belong to their 
party, inquired in what direction the bal- 
ance of the squad had gone. These two 
men had just returned home from the ser- 
vice, and they concluded to try their 
hands on tliat fellow. Neither of them 
were armed, but Mahon, using a plaster- 
ing latli which he held in his Iiand as a 
sword, grabbed one rein of the bridle and 
Seiders the other and quietly demanded 
his surrender. He at once dismounted, 
and his sabre, pistol, — the other taken by 
Seiders — and spurs, were at once taken by 
Mahon, who quickly mounted the horse 
and rode rapidly out Market street to 
Third, up Third to Queen, and down 
Queen to the jNIarket House into whicli he 
rode. While there a party of cavalry rode 
down Second street towards Market, and 
Malion, as soon as they passed, started at 
a rapid gait out Queen. At the junction 
of (Jueen and Washington streets he en- 
countered a squad, who called upon him 
to hall, but he flew on out towards Fay- 
etteville. At Downey's he turned from 
the pike and proceeded to Scotland . There 
on the next day he gave the horse 
into the care of another, and after 
watching the destruction of the railroad 
bridge at that place, he eluded the 
pickets and entered Chambersburg, and 



reported to the railroad officials the 
burning of the bridge. Finding that the 
rebels were on the hunt for him, he, after 
a short time hid in the house of his law 
preceptor, William McClellau, Esq., left 
and found refuge in safer quarters. Mr. 
Mahon desires me to present his compli- 
ments to Mr. George Haiokins, if he is 
yet alive and this should come to his 
notice, and to assure liim that the saddle, 
sabre, carbine and case of medicines, bor- 
rowed of him under such pressing circum- 
stances, are all safely kept, and he will 
be happy to return them to him now that 
"this cruel war is over." Immediately 
after the departure of Mahon with his 
prize — the rebel having been handed over 
to Mr. Henry Peiffer and George Welsh, 
who started with him towards the jail but 
released him when they found that they 
were likely to be caught — another cavalry- 
man, Lieut. Smith, rode up to where Mr. 
Seiders was standing and inquired what 
had become of his comrade. Seiders now 
being armed with one of the pistols taken 
from Hawkins, presented it and demand- 
ed his surrender. To this demand he at 
once complied and disnjounted. Seiders 
disarmed him, takiug his sabre, pistols 
and spurs, and mounting his horse rode 
rapidly out east Market street. At 
Market and Second streets he encountered 
the head of the column which passed the 
Market House while Mahon was in it. 
To their command to halt lie paid no at- 
tention but put his horse upon his speed 
and galloped out towards Fayetteville. 
Arriving at Fayetteville he took an in- 
ventory of his capture, and it was found 
to be as follows : A valuable horse, saddle, 
four blankets rolled up and fastened 
behind the saddle, two fine pistols, sabre 
and belt, and a pair of saddle bags, con- 
taining a dress coat, two shirts, a Testa- 
ment, a pack of cards, a package of love 
letters, some smoking tobacco, and several 
other articles. Mr. Seiders desires me to 
present his compliments to Lieut. Smith, 
and say to him that in case he is yet 
living, and tliis article should fall under 
his notice, that he will be happy to return 
to him wliatever of these articles he has 
preserved. From Fayetteville Mr. Seiders 
proceeded to Cumberland county, and 
throughout the whole period of the inva- 
sion he made good use of his captured 
horse in the way of scouting service, some 
of which will be detailed in a chapter 
on "Scouting," yet to follow. 

I return now from this extended but 
interesting digression to our main narra- 
tive. After spending the night under the 
hospitable roof of Col. McClure, Gen. Jen- 
kins aud stafi' came early in the morning 
ot Tuesday, Kith, into town and establish- 
ed his headquarters at the Montgome- 



Reminiscences of the Wai' 



ol 



ry hotel. One of the first acts of the rebel 
chieftain, after arriving in town, was to 
issue an order requiring all arms in pos- 
sion of our citizens, whether public or 
private, to be brought to the front of the 
Court House within two hours; and in 
case of disobedience, houses were to be 
searched, and all in which arms were 
found concealed were to be lawful objects 
of plunder. Many of our citizens complied 
with this humiliating order, and a com- 
mittee of our people was appointed to take 
down the names of all who brought in 
arms. Some, of course, did not comply, 
but enough did so to avoid a general search 
and probable sacking of the town. Capt. 
Fitzhugh, Jenkin'schief of staff—the same 
oflicer who took so prominent a part in 
the burning of the town a year afterwards 
— assorted the guns as they were brought 
in, retaining those that could be used by 
his men, and twisting and breaking such 
as were unfit for this service. This he 
did by striking them over the stone steps 
in front of the Court House, or twisting 
them out of shape in the ornamental at- 
tachments of the iron gas posts. When 
Dr. W. H. Boyle brought in a beautiful 
silver mounted Sharp's rifle, Capt. Fitz- 
hugh appropriated it to his own use. 

The next thing which demanded the 
attention of Gen. Jenkins, was lo summon 
the Town Council and demand of them 
the return of the two horses and their 
accoutrements captured by Mahon and 
Seiders, or the payment of their value ; 
and in default of either he threatened the 
destruction of the town. His plea for this 
extreme resort was, as he said, the 
firing upon his soldiers by our citizens. 
As the captured property wa^ beyond the 
reach of the Council, the matter was 
finally adjusted by the payment of $900. 
Doubtless Jenkins expected this amount 
in United States currency, but as he had 
flooded the town with Confederate scrip, 
pronouncing it better than Greenbacks, 
the city fatliers evidently took him at his 
word, and paid him in his own money. 
This money was bought up of our citizens, 
who had received it for articles sold to 
Jenkins' men, at a few cents on thcdollar. 
A few daj's after this transaction, and 
when Jenkins' force had fallen back 
beyond Greencastle, Mr. Seiders returned 
to town as the pilot of Gen. Knipe, who, 
with parts of two New York regiments, 
was sent to this place. Of these men I will 
have more to say hereafter. While here 
the Town Council seized Mr. Seiders' 
horse, but desiring to retain him for 
scouting purposes during the invasion, 
promising' to make the matter riglit after- 
wards, lie was permitted to do so upon the 
presentation of a petition signed by a 
number of our citizens, they also pledging 



themselves responsible for the return of 
the horse. And now, to show some of the 
inconveniences which the possession of 
this horse and the wearing of the captur- 
ed rebel's coat brought upon Mr. Seiders, 
and the routine through which he had 
to pass in order to retain his property, I 
will yet digress from my main subject to 
put upon record the following interesting 
facts: When carrying important infor- 
mation of the movements of the rebels to 
the authorities at Harrisburg, Seiders was 
captured near Bridgeport and taken into 
Harrisburg, where he was looked upon as 
a rebel spy and came near being mobbed. 
His horse and equipments were taken 
from him, and to all his protestations of 
his true character, the Provost Marshall, 
before whom he was taken, turned a deaf 
ear. At length Mr. D. W, Deal, then 
Postmaster at this place, but in Harris- 
burg for prudential reasons, made affida- 
vit to his knowledge of Mr. Seiders, and 
to the circumstances under which he be- 
came possessed of the horse and rebel 
outfit, and also to the action of the Town 
Council in loaning the same to Seiders, 
for which he (Deal) was one of the bonds- 
men. Col. A. K. McClure, William Mc- 
Clellen, Esq., and Mr. J. M, Cooper then 
followed in an affidavit vouching for Mr. 
Deal and the truth ot his statement, after 
which Mr. Seiders was released from cus- 
tody, but his horse and equipments v.'ere 
not returned to him— th6 Provost Mar- 
shall, John Kay Clement, saying that 
they were beyond his reach. In company 
with Mr. McClure Mr. Seiders called upon 
Gen. Couch, Commander of the Depart- 
ment of the Susquehanna, to whom he 
was personally known, who issued a per- 
emptory order for the return of the horse 
and equipments, and gave him a paper 
which saved him from further annoyance. 
Upon the presentation of this order from 
Gen. Couch, the Marshall wrote an order 
for the delivery of the property oil the 
back of Gen. Couch's paper which reads 
thus : 

" WiLT.iA^Nt W. I'ALDiCK : Hlr : You will 
jiiease deliver the gray mare to John 
Seiders, Esq.; it is in the stable oiprivatr 
horses, and is the one J gave to your 
charge this morning. Please hand over 
the accoutrements. 

Yours, «&c., 

Ed. Wilson, 
Capt. and Quartermaster." 

After the retreat of the I'ebels from Get- 
tysburg, IMr. Seiders sold the horse for 
S17."), and the saddle for $35. Deducting 
from this the claim of the Town Council 
—$75 — he had §135 left. The original 
I>apers relating to this whole tran-saction 



Reminiscences of the War. 



are uow before me, but they are too volu- 
minious to give iu full here. 

On Wednesday morning, Gen. Jenkins 
ordered that tlie stores, shops and busi- 
ness places should all be opened from 8 
to 10 o'clock A. M., and that his men 
should be permitted to buy such articles 
as they personally needed, but must in 
all cases pay for what they got. Business 
for about an hour was very brisk, and to 
avoid giving offense they patronized all. 
Fortunately for us and many others, 
stocks of goods were generally sent away 
or hid, but what little we had was bought 
up and paid for in Confederate scrip and 
shin plasters issued by the City of Rich- 
mond and other Southern corporations. 
While this traffic was in progress a rebel 
soldier seized a number of remnants of 
ladies' dress goods, which we did not 
think worth hiding, and putting them 
under his arm walked out and down past 
Jenkins' headquarters. Jenkins came 
quickly out and caught the fellow and 
pushed him back on the double quick into 
the store, and said : "Did this man get 
these things liere, and did he pay for 
them ?" Upon being told that he took 
them without paying for them, he drew 
his sword and tiourisliing it aljove the 
man's liead and swearing terribly, he de- 
clared that he had a mind to cut his head 
off. Turning to us he said, "Sell my men 
all the goods they want, but if anyone 
attempts to take anything without pay- 
ing for it, report to me at my headquar- 
ters. We are not thieves." Some of the 
rebel officers visited the drug stores of 
Messrs. Miller, Spangler, Nixon and 
Heyser, and purchased liberally, telling 
them to make out their bills, or if tliey 
could not do that, to guess at the amount 
and it would be paid. 

About nine o'clock, while we were all 
doing a lively business, an officer came 
galloping up Main Street to headquarters 
and told Jenkins that the Yankees were 
advancing. Jenkins came out in haste 
and mounting his horse he, in a voice of 
great power, ordered the men to the field. 
A rush was made down Main street and 
out to what is known as Gelsinger's hill, 
a few miles below the town, on the Har- 
risburg pike, where a line of battle was 
formed. In a short time a number of 
men returned leading the horses, the 
soldiers dismounting and preparing to 
fight as infantry. They were all armed 
with carbines as well as pistols and sabres. 
After an hour or two they fell back 
through the town and out where their 
horses were taken and rode back beyond 
Greencastle. A few daring scouts coming 
from the direction of Shippensburg, caus- 
ed this alarm, and supposing that they 
were too far in advance of the infantry, 



they retreated to the Southern part of the 
county, where for nearly a week they 
plundered the people. As Jenkins and 
his staff rode up street, after the dis- 
mounted men had all passed, a number 
of our citizens were standing upon the 
Court House pavement. Supposing that 
they were armed and might fire upon 
them, tliese officers drew their revolvers 
and rode towards the citizens. A stam- 
pede of course resulted. As the last of 
these soldiers were leaving the lower end 
of the town, they set fire to the wai'ehouse 
of Messrs. Oaks & Linn, but it was speed- 
ily extinguished. This firing and the de- 
struction of the Scotland bridge were the 
o\x\y acts of real destruction attempted. 
Many incidents of interest which occurr- 
ed during the stay of Jenkins' command, 
might be given, but I have space for but a 
few. The large brick building which 
then stood back of the railroad, opposite 
the present depot, and which had been 
erected hy the Franklin Railroad Com- 
pany for an engine house, was at the time 
of this raid used for tlie packing of hay. . 
A large stack of hay was also near this 
building. Mr. T. B. Wood and other 
property holders in that neighborhood got 
Rev. Dr. B. S. Schneck to go to Gen. 
Jenkins and ask him not to burn this hay, 
but if it was bis intention to burn it, they 
would move it away so that it would not 
endanger their property. To this request 
Jenkins replied that he had no intention 
to burn that hay ,for Lee and his whole 
army were coming and would want the 
hay. Many of the soldiers were engaged 
during Tuesdaj' and Wednesday morning 
in scouring the fields around the town for 
negroes. Many were caught and some, 
free and slave, were bound and sent under 
guard South. Some escaped, and some 
were captured from their guard by citizens 
of Greencastle. Among their captures 
was that well and favorably known color- 
ed ivian,Esque Hall. A rebel rode past 
our store with this poor frightened man 
on behind him. I went immediately for 
Dr. Schneck, who went to Jenkins' head- 
quarters, and after assuring Jenkins that 
Hall was long a resident of this place, and 
not a fugitive slave, he was released. Dr. 
Schneck told me that one of Jenkins' 
staff officers recognized him, having 
heard him preach once in Virginia, and 
his intercession helped to save poor Hall. 
They also caught Plenry Deitrick and 
Samuel Claudv, who were repair hands 
upon the railroad, and were coming up 
from the direction of Scotland upon a 
hand car. Again Dr. Sch neck's services 
were called for and these men were releas- 
ed. Some years ago a citizen of this place 
was traveling in Virginia, down where 
the Natural Bridge is, and after riding 



Reminiscences of Ihc War 



some ten miles with a man who resided 
there, he was asked where he was from. 
When he replied, Chambersburg, the 
man said, "I)o yon know Dr. Schneck V 
I've got Ills card. I was with Gen. Jen- 
kins in Chambersburg, and some of our 
men caught a negro and would liave taken 
iiim South, but Dr. Schneck interceded 
for him and he was released." 

CJen. Jenkins, tearing an attack by the 
emergency men then congregating at 
Harrisburg, fell back, as already stated, 
below Greencastle and near to Hagers- 
town, there to await the arrival of Gen. 
Lee's infantry. From this retreat he sent 
out marauding parties to various places in 
search of additional plunder. One de- 
tachment proceeded by way of Mercers- 
burg over the Cove mountain into Fulton 
county, where they svere rather roughly 
handled, as the following account will 
show. There were stationed in and about 
McConnellsburg, the county seat of that 
county, parts of three companies of the 
First New York Cavalry under Capt. 
Jones, numbering about sixty men. 
Tiiese cavalrymen were noted for their 
fearlessness, amounting in some cases to 
daring rashness. Some thirty-six of tliese 
men with their intrepid leader were in the 
town when the scouts came dashing in 
from the Mercersburg road, and reported 
the approach of tlie foe. It liappened that 
there was also a company of volunteer 
cavalry from the neighborhood of Orbiso- 
nia tlien in the town, and Capt Jones pro- 
posed to the commander of this company 
that if he would place his men in a cross 
street, so that the rebels could not see 
them, until lie witli his small company 
had passed them in pursuit of the foe, and 
tlien only to show themselves and so im- 
press the rebels with their numbers, that he 
would do all the fighting. To this the offi- 
cer consented, and stationed his men accor- 
dingly . The New Yorkers formed in a col- 
umn and rode slowly down street as about 
sixty-two of the rebels appeared at the lirow 
of the hill at the upper end of the town. 
At length, when they had drawn the ene- 
my almost down to the cross street where 
the volunteers were jilaeed, they suddenly 
wheeled about and, with a terrific yell, 
dashed for the foe, firing and yelling as 
they rode. The volunteers failed moat in- 
gloriously to perform their part, but fled 
up the valley in great confusion, and the 
last heard of them they werestill running. 
The rebels, however, notwithstanding 
their superiority in numbers, turned and 
lied by the way they came, and a short, 
distance from where the roads leading to 
Chambersburg and Mercersburg diverge, 
two of them were killed and one badly 
wounded. The citizens afterwards went 
out and buried them by the way side, 



and while thus engaged the defeated force, 
reinforced largely, returned to renew the 
conflict, but the New Yorkers were as cun- 
ning as brave, for suspecting that a large 
force would return, prudently withdrew to 
the hills west of the town, the rebels, fear- 
ing to pursue them, having a wholesome 
fear of Milroy's force, which they knew 
was not far away. I may err in saying 
that this exciting skirmish occurred with 
this detachment of Jenkin'sforce, butafter 
making all due inquiry I am at a loss to 
place it elsewhere. 

It was this reinforced bod^' of cavalry, 
if I mistake not, who captured a drove of 
cattle from our former towsman, ex-Sheriff 
Taylor, valued at about $7,000, which he 
unwittingly drove within their thieving 
reach. We shall have occasion to refer to 
these brave New Yorkers on two subse- 
quent occasions, which will be given in 
their appropriate places. 

One other detatchment from Jenkin's 
force was sent east, and after plundering 
the rich country about Waynesboro', 
crossed over the Southeastern flanks of the 
South Mountain, where, at the Monterey 
pass, on Sunday, 21st, the Philadelphia 
City Troop and Bell's cavalry from Get- 
tysburg, encountered their pickets. In the 
evening of the same day about 120 of them 
entered Fairfield, and returned again by 
the Furnace road, taking with them all 
the good horses they could And. 

The whole Southern portion of our coun- 
ty was plundered by these men, Welsh 
Run especially receiving a thorough scour- 
ing. The plunder thus taken by Jenkins 
was sent south of the Potomac, and deliv. 
ered over to Lee's approaching army. It 
would be difficult to estimate the value of 
the property taken by this raid, but it cer- 
tainly amounted to not less than one hun- 
dred thousand dollars. Then its coming 
in the season of the year when the farm- 
ing interests required the use of horses, 
added immensely to its inconvenience and 
loss. Many croppers who had little else 
than their stock, were bankrupted. The 
effect of this raid, however, was to arouse 
the people of Pennsylvania and the adja- 
cent states, and volunteers for the defense 
of the border hurried to Harrisburg. 

The various detachments of Jenkin's 
command had all joined the main body 
by Monday morning, at or near Hagers- 
town, where he awaited the arrival of 
Rhode's division of infantry preparatory 
to another advance i nto our State. For the 
present we will leave him there and take 
a look at Harrisburg and see what prepa- 
rations were being made for the reception 
of the foe. 

As soon as it was definitely known that 
the invasion of Pennsylvania was immi- 
nent, our State authorities were notified of 



.|0 



Reuiiniscou'cs of iJic War 



the fact, atid they were ussured that the 
aspect of the war at that time rendered it 
unwise to divide the army of thePoto;iuic, 
and that Pennsylvania must furnish her 
own men for her defense. Accordingly 
IMaj. Gen. D. J*f. Couch was made, by an 
order of the War Department. Comman- 
der of the Department of the Susquehan- 
na, with headquarters at Harrisburg, and 
Maj. Gen. W. T. H. Brooks was assigned 
to the Department of the Monongahela, 
with headquarters at Pittsburg. On the 
day following the establisliment of these 
Departments, Friday, June 12th, Governor 
Curtin issued a proclamation, addressed to 
the people of Pennsylvania, telling them 
of the danger which threatened them, and 
calling for volunteers to meet the emergen- 
cy. On the same day Gen. Couch, on as- 
suming command of the Department, also 
issued an address to the people, reiterating 
what Governor Curtin had said, and call- 
ing for a general and speedy enlistment 
for the defense of the State, and if possi- 
ble to drive back the foe before he should 
touch our soil. Soon after the issuing of 
these addresses — on June loth— the con- 
struction of breastworks and the digging 
of rifle pits along the river front, and on 
the opposite bank of the river, was com- 
menced, and carried forward from day to 
day. In response to the call of the Gov- 
ernor and Gen. Couch, the militia of Penn- 
sylvania and New York hastened to Har- 
risburg, and on Monday, 22ud, they were 
organized by Gen. Couch into two divis- 
ions, one under General Smith and the 
other under General Dana. On Saturday 
previous, 20th, General Knipe was sent 
from Harrisbure with parts of two regi- 
ments of New York militia, numbering 
about 800 men — the first to reach Harris- 
burg after the Governor's call. Their des- 
tination was first to assist in rebuilding the 
railroad bridge at Scotland, destroyed by 
Jenkins a few days previously', and then 
to occupy and defend Chambersburg. 
These troops marched from Scotland on 
Sunday, 21st, and reached this place some- 
time in the afternoon. The Colonel com- 
manding these men made an excellent 
speech from the Court House steps, in 
which he assured us that they had come 
here to assist in repelling the rebel invad- 
ers. After resting awhile in the diamond 
and partaking of the hospitalities of our 
people, these troops marched out to the 
strip of woods then upon the farm known 
as the Oyler property, but then belonging 
to Mr. G. R, Messersmith, The men com- 
I)rising these regiments were mostly young 
gentlemen connected with business estab- 
lishments in the city of New York, and 
evidently had not been accustomed to the 
hardships which usually attend a soldier's 
life. They brought with them two beau- 



tiful brass howitzers which, with their 
caissons, were drawn by hand. These how- 
itzers were placed in position and masked 
with branches from the trees on the liill 
overlooking and commanding the Green- 
castle road, where the school house now 
stands. On the morning following, Mon- 
day, 22nd, the two companies of Plome 
Guards raised in this place went out and 
joined tliis regiment. During the day 
these New Yorkers did a considerable 
amount of drilling with their artillery, 
and not a little boastingofwhatthey would 
<lo in case the rebels came within reach of 
their guns. About 3 o'clock in the after- 
noon a person supposed to be a woman 
came into the camp. She, or he, was dis- 
guised in a woman's attire of deep mourn- 
ing, with her face almost entirely hid in a 
black bonnet. She went through the camp 
pretending to be silly, and inquiring where 
a certain farmer lived, whom no one knew. 
Some of our Home Guards felt assured 
that the person v/as a man disguised, and 
that he should be arrested. The Colonel 
in command of these troops, when told of 
these suspicions, said that she was only 
some silly woman, and that she should not 
be disturbed. At length she left the camj) 
and the last seen of her she was making 
quick time out the Railroad towards 
Greencastle. It will be recollected that this 
occurred but one day preceding the reap- 
pearance of Gen. Jenkins, and that previ- 
ous to his first approach two strange men 
came to Greencastle and remained at a ho- 
tel until Jenkin's command entered, when 
they threw off their disguise by uniting 
with the rebels and telling the landlord to 
charge their bill to the Southern Confed- 
eracy. That this pretended woman was 
one of Gen. Jenkin's scouts, sent in ad- 
vance to ascertain what preparations were 
made for their reception, there can be no 
doubt. 

Leaving these gallant strangers in their 
camp, about a half mile from the South- 
ern border of the town, with their two 
beautiful howitzers planted so as to com- 
mand the approaches by the Greencastle 
road, and our Home Guards thrown out in 
advance as pickets, we will turn our atten- 
tion to events further South, promising 
the reader that he will hear from the&e 
men further on in this narrative. 

References have been frequently made 
in these chapters to our Home Guards. It 
is but justice to our citizens to state that in 
addition to the hundreds who went from 
our town into active service, where many 
of them were distinguished for their bra- 
very and good conduct, and many fell, 
nearly all who were not away in service 
were enrolled in companies, under compe- 
tent officers, for home service. In the 
emergency uuder consideration the old men 



Reminiscences of the War 



41 



of the town organized a company, headed 
liy the venerable Judge Chambers, for the 
defense of the place. None were admitted 
to this company under forty-five years of 
age. Upon all occasions, when their serv- 



ices were needed, these Home Guards were 
on duty, and on this day, Monday, June 
22nd, every man capable of bearing arms 
had his gun and was in some organization 
to resist the rebels. 



CHAPTER IX. 



The Invasion of Pennsylvania. 



Before oroceeding to narrate the events 
connected with the invasion of our border 
by the Army of Northern Virginia, and 
its retreat from the disastrous field of Get- 
tysburg, I will place upon record certain 
facts concerning the previous movements 
of that army and its designs and purposes 
in the invasion, which will greatly aid the 
reader in understanding the movements 
and counter-movements of the two great 
contending armies upon the great chess- 
board of war. These facts may be stated 
thus: 

1. The number of forces on each side in 
this campaign. 

(1) The Confederate force. 

Hon. Edward Everett, in his address at 
the dedication of the Soldier's National 
Cemetery at Gettysburg, Nov. 19th, ISG'.i, 
estimates the Confederate force at 90,000 
infantry, upwards of 10,000 cavalry, and 
4,000 or 0,000 artillery, making a total of 
105,000 of all arms. 

Gen. Longstreet in one of his contribu- 
tions to the Annals of the War., page 621, 
gives the rebel force upon the authority of 
Gen. Lee, in a confidential communication 
made to him, as but a little over 70,000 

Col. W. H. Taylor, one of Lee's staff of- 
ficers, in an article contributed to the same 
book, (page 318), gives the strength of the 
army as 67,000 of all arms— fifty-three 
thousand five hundred infantry, nine thou- 
sand cavalry, and four thousand five hun- 
dred artillery. 

In the Franklin Rejoository of July 8, '63 
wliile the matter was fresh in the the'minds 
of our people, many of whom had made 
by actual count pretty correct estimates of 
the strength of the Confederate army, it is 
stated that the two Corps, Ewell's and 
Hill's, amounted to 47,000 men and 192 
guns. Add to these Early's Division of 
Ewell's Corps, which did not pass through 
this place, and Longstreet's Corps, which 
was not included in this computation and 
which it may be supposed was equal to 
either Hill's or Ewell's, and it will be seen 
that Mr. Everett's estimate is entirely too 



high. In all the estimates made by our 
citizens, as these troops passed through 
here none, so far as I have heard , placed the 
number above 70,000. 

(2.) The Union force. 

Gen. Meade in his evidence taken before 
a committee of Congress on the con- 
duct of the War, (page 337), gives the 
strength of his army as follows : "My 
strength was a little under one hundred 
thousand — probably ninety-five thousand 
men." This, of course, is decisive, and it 
establishes the fact that the Union army 
was considerably larger than the Confed- 
erate. This superiority in numbers was in 
part offset by the prestige of the victories 
gained at Fredericksburg and Chancellors- 
vilie. That this success had its effect upon 
the confederates is proven by the following 
extract from a report of the battle of Get- 
tysburg, made by Col. Freemantle of the 
British army, who with one or two other 
British officers passed through here with 
the rebels, and was with Gen. Lee's staff 
when the battle was fought, and doubtless 
strongly sympathized with them : "The 
staff officers spoke of the coming battle as 
a certainty, and the universal feeling was 
one of contempt for an enemy whom they 
had beaten so constantly, and under so 
many disadvantages." (Annals of the War 
page 206.) 

Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, a son of the Com- 
mander of the Confederate Army, says that 
his father was controlled too far by the 
great confidence he had in the fighting 
<iualities of his troops, who begged only 
to be turned loose upon the P^ederals. This 
feeling of confidence was equally shared 
bv the officers high in command. [Annals 
of the War, pages 421, 422.) 

The rebels as they passed through Green- 
oastle and this place were confident and 
boastful, and seemed to think that their 
success was assured. 

2. The plan and object of Hen. Lee. 

Hon. Edward Everett, whose informa- 
tion was drawn from the archives of the 
War Department, which were placed at 



42 



Reininiscences of the War. 



disposal for the preparation of his address 
at Gettysburg, states Lee's purposes as fol- 
lows: 

(1.) By rapid movements northward, 
and by manoeuvring with a portion of his 
army on the East side of the Blue Ridge, 
to tempt Gen. Hooker from his base of op- 
erations and thus uncover the approaches 
to Washington, and throw itopen to a raid 
by Stuart's cavalry, and also to enable Lee 
himself to cross the Potomac at Poolsville 
and fall upon the Capitol. This design of 
the rebel General was promptly discovered 
by Gen. Hooker, and, moving with great 
rapidity from Fredericksburg, he preserved 
unbroken the inner line, and stationed the 
various corps of his army at all the points 
protecting the approaches to Washington, 
from Centreville up to Leesburg. In the 
meantime, by the vigorous operations of 
Pleasanton's cavalry, the cavalry of Gen. 
Stuart, though superior in numbers, was 
so crippled as to be disabled from perform- 
ing the part assigned it in the campaign. 
In this manner. Gen. Lee's first object, 
the defeat of Hooker's army on the South 
of the Potomac and a direct march on 
Washington, was baffled. 

(2.) The second part of the Confederate 
plan, which is supposed to have been un- 
dertaken in opposition to the views of 
Gens. Lee and Longstreet, was to turn the 
demonstration northward into a real inva- 
sion of Maryland and Pennsylvania, in 
the hope, that, in his way. Gen. Hooker 
would be drawn to a distance from the 
capitol, and that some opportunity would 
occur of taking him at a disadvantage, and 
after defeating his army, of making a de- 
scent upon Baltimore and Washington. 
This was substantially the repetition of 
the plan of 1S62, and as the latter was de- 
feated at Antietam,so was the former at 
Gettysburg. 

(3.) One other plan was a movement 
upon Harrisburg. Whether this place was 
Tree's objective point when he crossed the 
Potomac and marched his forces into our 
valley is not known ; but that he had 
planned an attack upon the capitol of our 
State, and that he held to that plan up to 
the night of .Tune 29th, when Gen. Long- 
street's scout brought information to him 
at his headquarters near this place, of the 
movements of the army of the Potomac, 
which information caused him to change 
his plan and march eastwardly across the 
South Mountain, willclearly appear in the 
following taken from Longstreet's account 
in the Annah of the War. (pages 418 and 
419.) 

This statement is as follows : "While at 
Culpepper, I sent a trusty scout (who had 
been sent to aie by Secretary Seddens, 
while T was in Suffolk,) with instructions 



to go into the Federal lines, discover his 
policy, and bring me all the information 
he could possibly pick up. When this 
scoutaskedme,verysignificantly, where he 
should report, I replied, 'Find me, wherev- 
er I am, when you have the desired infor- 
mation.' I did this because I feared to 
trust him with a knowledge of our future 
movements. I supplied him with all the 
gold he needed, and instructed him to 
spare neither pains nor money to obtain 
full and accurate information. The infor- 
mation gathered by this scout led to the 
most tremendous results, as will be seen 
* * "" . I reached Chambersburg on the 
evening of the 27th (Saturday.) At this 
point, on the night of the 29th (Monday), 
information was received by which the 
whole plan of the campaign was changed. 
We had not heard from the enemy for sev- 
eral days, and Gen. Lee was in doubt as to 
where he was; indeed, we did not know 
that he had yet left Virginia. At about 
ten o'clock that night, Col. Sorrell, my 
chief of staff, was waked by an orderly, 
who reported that a suspicious person had 
just been arrested by the provost marshal. 
Upon investigation, Sorrell discovered 
that the suspicious person was the scout 
Harrison that I had sentoutat Culpepper. 
He was dirt-stained, travel-worn, and very 
much broken down. After questioning 
him sufficiently to find that he brought 
very important information. Col. Sorrell 
brought him to my headquarters and 
awoke me. He gave the information that 
the enemy had crossed the Potomac, 
marched northwest, and that the head ot^ 
his column was at Frederick City on our 
right. I felt that this information was ex- 
ceedingly important, and might involve a 
change in the direction of our march. 
Gen. Lee had already issued orders that 
we were to advance toward Harrisburg. I 
at once sent the scout to Gen. Lee's head- 
(juarters, and followed him myself early in 
the morning. I found Gen. Ijee up, and 
asked him if the information brought by 
the scout might not involve a change of 
direction of the head of our column to the 
right. He imniediately acquiesed in the 
suggestion, possibly saying that he had al- 
ready given orders to that effect. The 
movement toward the enemy was begun at 
once." 

Gen. Ijee himself in his report, says: — 
"Preparation had been made to advance 
upon Harrisburg; but, on the nightof the 
29th, information was received fromascout 
that the enemy had crossed the Potomac, 
was advancing northward, and the head 
of his column had already reached South 
Mountain. As our communications with 
the Potomac were thus menaced, it was 
resolved to prevent its further progress in 
that direction by concentrating our army 



Rcniuusccnccs of I he War 



^: 



on theeast side of the mountain." [Amials 
of the Wa)\ 4i'0.) 

General Longstreet in a second article 
contributed to the Annals of the TFw, 
page 6.'i2, says that he erred in his first ar- 
ticle in stating that this scout reported to 
liini on the night of the 2!)th, and that it 
should be on the night of Sunday, 28th. 
That he was right in his first statement 
will clearly appear in the following consid- 
erations : 

(1.) According to his own statement, as 
well as the ofHcial declaration of Gen. Lee, 
the order countermanding the attack upon 
Harrisburg and a rapid concentration to- 
wards Gettysburg, was issued immediate- 
ly upon the receipt of the information 
brought by this scout. If the scout re- 
ported on the evening of Sunday, 28th, 
then the concentration must have taken 
place on Monday, whereas it is placed be- 
yond all question that it occurred on Tues- 
day. This will clearly appear in the state- 
ments yet to follow. 

(2.) Gen. Longstreet says that early in 
the morning after the arrival of this scout, 
he rode with Gen. Lee from his headquar- 
ters iiear Chambersburg to Greenwood, 
where they remained over night, and the 
next day, after riding together three or 
four miles towards Gettysburg, they heard 
the sound of artillery, at which Gen. Lee 
rode forward to ascertain what occasioned 
it. This was the cannonading of the first 
day's engagement, as he himself admits, 
which occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. 
This fact alone fixes Tuesday morning as 
the time they leftChambersburg for Gi'een- 
wood, and,asa consequence, Monday night 
the 29th, as the time of the scout's arrival. 

(3.) Gen. Lee officially declares that it 
was on the night of the 29th, when the 
scout reported to him. This official decla- 
ration ]s of more importance than (^en. 
Longstreet's memory, upon which, it is ev- 
ident, he reiies. 

There is another way of harmonizing 
this discrepancy, which is that the scout 
reported on the evening of Sunday, 28tb, 
and the orders for the concentration were 
immediately issued andsent to their re- 
spective destinations on Monday, but tht- 
concentration did not commence until 
Tuesday, 30th. This seems to be inferred 
from an account of this affair given bv 
Dr. CuUen, Medical Director of Long- 
street's Corps in the Annals of the War, 
page 439. Dr. Cullen says : — "Edistinctly 
remember the appearance in our head- 
quarters of the scout who brought frt)m 
Frederick the first account tliat Gen. I^ee 
had of the definite whereabouts of the en- 
emy ; of the excitement at Gen. Lee's 
headquarters among couriers, quartermas- 
ters, commissaries, etc., all betokening 
some early movement of the commands 



dependent upon the news brought by the 
scout. That afternoon Gen. Lee was walk- 
ing with some of us in the road in front of 
his headquarters, and said, 'Gentlemen, we 
will not move to Harrisburg as we expect- 
ed, but will go over to Gettysburg and see 
what Gen. Meade is after.' Orders had 
then been issued to the corps to move at 
sunrise on the morning of the next day, 
and promptly at the time the corps was 
put on the road." 

The chief difiiculty to this last explana- 
tion is, how could that scout report to Gen. 
Lee on Sunday evening that Gen. Meade 
was in command of the Army of the Po- 
tomac, when he had only been placed in 
that position the afternoon of the same 
day in Frederick, some forty miles away V 

The reader may accept either explana- 
tion, but ho will see by closely following 
the movements I shall detail that the con- 
centration commenced on Tuesday morn- 
inr/ the 30th. 

3. What ivas the jilun of the commander 
of the Army of the Potomac f 

After a period of three weeks — from 
June 3d — when Gen. Lee broke up his en- 
campment at Frederickburg, to the 24th, 
when the main body of his army crossed 
the Potomac into Maryland, Lee manoeuv- 
red his army so as to outwit and entraji 
Gen. Hooker, but in every case he utterly 
failed. And so successfully did Hooker 
handle his army that he compelled Lee to 
cross the Potomac at Shepherstown and 
Williamsport, west of the Blue Ridge, in- 
stead of the east, as intended, thus materi- 
ally damaging his entire plan of campaign 
north of the river as he had defeated it 
south. It was prol)ably this forced march 
up through the valley west of the moun- 
tain, instead of the east, that made Har- 
risburg Lee's objective. And then ow- 
ing to the severe handling which Gen. 
Pleasanton administered to Stuart at Bev- 
erly Ford, Aldie and Upperville, in con- 
tiection with Hooker's strategy, that chief- 
tain was forced away from his proper con- 
nection with Lee's army, compelling him 
to make the entire circuit of the Union 
forces and only reaching the rebel lines on 
the evening of July 2nd. Gen. Stuart's 
proper course, and the one he would have 
taken had he not been forced to do other- 
wise, after Ijee's forced route west of the 
mountain, would have been along theeast- 
ern side, guarding its passes, masking Lee's 
movements, protecting his line of commu- 
nication, reporting information of the 
Union forces, and harassing whatever of 
those forces he might come in contact with. 
All these advantages were lost to Lee by 
the course Stuart was compelled to take. 
Of this loss not only Gen. Lee, but several 
of his officers in reports subsequently pub- 
lished, greatly complained. Gen Lee says: 



44 



Reminiscences of the War 



"No report had been received (on the 27th) 
that the enemy had crossed the Potomac, 
and the absence of the Cavah'y rendered it 
impossible to obtain accurateinformation." 
Gen. Longstreet said, "The army moved 
forward as a man might walk over strange 
ground with his eyes shut." 

Upon Thursday, June 2.5th, the day af- 
ter Lee's army crossed the Potomac, Gen. 
Hooker crossed at Edward's Ferry, and by 
Sunday, 28th, the Union Army lay be- 
tween Harper's Ferry and Frederick City, 
in a position either to protect Washington 
and Baltimore, fall upon Lee's communi- 
cations, or marcli to any point wliere the 
enemy might show himself. The strate- 
gy of Gen. Hooker seems to have been as 
faultless as it proved to be successful. 

On Sunday, June 28th, General Josepli 
Hooker was removed from the command 
of the army, and General George G. 
Meade was placed in that responsible 
position. The cause of Gen. Hooker's 
removal was some disagreement between 
him and Gen. Halleck, then General in 
Chief of the Army. There were 10,000 
men at Harper's Ferry under Gen. French, 
which Halleck desired to remain there to 
protect that place and threaten liCe's com- 
munications with Virginia. These troops 
Hooker wanted, and because his reque-t 
was refused, complications ensued which 
resulted in his tendering his resignation. 
Immediately after receiving the order 
placing liim in command, Gen. Meade 
soughtan interview with Hooker, and used 
every eflbrt to obtain of liim his plans 
an purposes, as also the strength and 
position of the different Corps of the army, 
but Hooker left the camp in a short time 
and gave bim no information whatever. 
It is said that Meade summoned Gen. 
Reynolds to his presence, and together 
they agreed upon a plan of campaign. 
{Annah of the Wai\ page 62.') Placed un- 
expectedly in a position of immense 
responsibility, and involving results of 
momentous importance, even the life ot a 
great Nation, it certainly retlects the 
highest credit upon Gen, Meade, that he 
was able at once to meet the emergency ; 
and also rertects the highest honor upon 
the whole army that the change made in 
tiie chief command of so large a force on 
tlie eve of a general battle, — the various 
Corps necessarily moving on lines some- 
what divergent, and yet not an hour's 
hesitation should ensue in tlie advance of 
any portion thereof. Can history produce 
anything that exceeds it ? 

Gen. Meade at once directed his left 
wing, under Gen. Reynolds, upon Ein- 
mittsburg, and his right upon New Wind- 
sor, leaving Gen. F'rench with 10,000 men 
to protect the Baltimore and Ohio rail- 
road, and convey the public property from 



Harper's Ferry to Washington. Buford's 
cavalry was on that day at Gettysburg, 
and Kilpatrick's at Hanover, where lie 
defeated the rear of Stuart's cavalry, who 
was roving about the country in search 
of the main army of Lee. I have tiius 
given the strengtli and purposes of the 
two armies, with the position of Lee on 
the 24th (Wednesday) and of Meade on 
the 28th (Sunday') and shall now lift the 
curtain and give the reader a view of the 
movements and occurrences in and about 
this place, while the Southern hosts were 
passing througli to their terrible discomfi- 
ture. And that these important occurren- 
ces may be given in their proper connec- 
tion, and in comparison with other events 
transpiring elsewhere within the lines of 
the two great opposing armies, I will 
detail the events of each day in the follow- 
ing daily summary. Let the reader 
follow me tlirough these details, mark 
well each movement, with Harrisburg as 
Lee's objective up to the night of Monday 
29tli, and after that night, some position 
east of the South Mountain, and he will 
be amazed at the skill and genius display- 
ed in the mind of the one man planning, 
directing and controlling the whole. I 
will also detail the corresponding move- 
ments of the Army of the Potomac, that 
the equal skill of its commander may be 
seen. I will commence with 

Satlti;Dx<ly, Junk 20tii. 

I liave been unable to learn the precise 
day when the divisions of Generals 
Rhodes and Early crossed the Potomac 
into Maryland. They had defeated Mil- 
roy at Winchester on the 13th and 14th, 
and crossed the Potomac either on Satur- 
day, the 20th, or Sunday, 21st. From all 
the information I have been able to gather 
this crossing occurred on Saturday, and 
probably on Sunday also. At Hagers- 
town on Monday, 22d, these two Divisions 
connected with Jenkins and proceeded 
down the valley by diflerent roads. 

Gen. Knipe was sent from Harrisburg 
with parts of two New York regiments to 
Chambersburg. 

SUND.VY, 21ST. 

Gen. Lee this day issued his first Gener- 
al Order (No. 72, given hereafter) relating 
to the conduct of his army and the regula- 
tions to be observed in procuring supplies. 

The New York Militia this day entered 
and passed through town. 

MUNDAY, 22d. 
The remaining division— Jounson's — of 
Ewell's Corps crossed the Potomac, part 
at Shepherdstown and the balance at Wil- 
liamsport, and formed a junction at Ha- 
gerstown. At that place Early's division 



Remiitiscenccs of the War 



45 



deflected to the east aud passed on down 
the valley by Waynesboro' and Funks- 
town, coming out into the pike leading 
from this place toGettysburg at Green wood. 
It then crossed the South Mountain reach- 
ing Gettysburg on Friday, the 26th, and 
York on Sunday, 28th. The advance of 
this force was commanded by Gen. Gor- 
don. After entering this latter place a 
detachment was sent forward to Wrights- 
ville on the western bank of the Susque- 
hanna, with the probable intention to 
seize the bridge crossing the river there 
and probably to plunder Columbia on 
the eastern bank. After a skirmish with 
the rebels, Col. Frick, in command of the 
Union forces, set Are to the bridge and 
thus prevented any further advance in 
that direction. It was by General Early's 
order that the iron works of Hon. Thad- 
deus Stevens, situated ajt the foot of the 
South Mountain on the Gettysburg pike, 
were destroyed while passing that way to- 
wards Gettysburg. This will be noticed 
more fully hereafter. 

Another detachment from Ewell's 
corps, under Gen. Stuart, turned to the 
west and crossed the Cove Mountain into 
Fulton county, taking possession of Mc- 
Connellsburg to watch that part of Mil- 
roy's command which had escaped from 
Winchester to Bloody Run. Gen. Imho- 
den, previous to Lee's crossing the 
Potomac, was sent with his cavalry, 
numbering about 3,300 men, to Cumber- 
land, P»Id., with instructions to sweep 
eastwardly down the Baltimore & Ohio 
railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio 
Canal, and destroy all the bridges, depots 
aud canal boats and locks as far as Mar- 
ti nsburg. After the execution of this 
order he crossed the river at Hancock and 
penetrated the valley west of the Cove 
Mountain to McConnelLsburg, where tor 
the present we will leave him. He, how- 
ever, will appear in important connections 
further on in this narrative. 

On this day Gen. Ewell issued his 
Order (No. 49, given hereafter) in relation 
to the behavior of his troops during the 
invasion. 

During this day the advance under 
Jenkins and Rhodes reached Greeneastle. 
Gen. Jenkins sent forward a reconnoiter- 
ing party as far as Marion, at which place 
they captured Mr. D. K. Appeiizellar, 
who had just returned from service with 
the 126th Regiment Penna. Volunteers, 
aud was on his way to this place, mounted 
upon an excellent horse, to join some 
military organization here. After his 
capture, Mr. Ai)penzellar was closely 
questioned as to the number of troops then 
in Chambersburg. Having been in the 
latter place a day or two previously, and 
having heard a rumor that Gen. Couch 



was coming up from Harrisburg with a 
force of twenty thousand men, he repeated 
this story to them. They at once fell 
back to the main body, and in the hearing 
of Mr. Appenzellar communicated this 
intelligence to those in command. About 
this time the bold, dashing New York 
cavalrymen from Fulton county, under 
their intrepid leader, put in an appear- 
ance, and at once a scene of great excite- 
ment ensued. The audacity with which 
these cavalrymen dashed towards the 
rebels led them to suppose that they 
were the ad van d guard of a large body, 
add naturally they supposed that body was 
Gen. Couch's twenty thousand men. A 
line of battle was at once hastily formed. 
Fences were torn down to the right and 
left of the Greeneastle road, and Rhodes' 
infantry took a position upon the high 
ground of Mr. John Kissecker's farm, 
about a half mile this side of Greeneastle. 
Jenkins threw his cavalry forward and 
formed a skirmish line upon the land of 
Mr. Wm- Flemming, about a quarter of a 
mile from the infantry. Gen. Jenkins 
established his headquarters in Mr. Flem- 
ming's house. As soon as the Union cav- 
alry came within range of their guns, fire 
was opened upon them, and for a time the 
noise and clatter were lively. A sister of 
Mr. Flemming, going to the window to 
look out, barely escaped a ball which came 
crashing in the glass right beside her 
head. As soon as the dash and curiosity 
of these bold riders were satisfied they 
withdrew out of range, and the rebels fear- 
ing it to be a Y'ankee trick to draw them 
into an ambuscade, did not pursue. Mr. 
Appenzellar says that of all- the bold and 
fearless soldiers he ever saw — and he saw 
many and had large experience during 
the war— these New Y^ork cavalrymen 
exceeded any in these qualities. And had 
they gone biit a very short distance furth- 
er they would have come into a cross tire 
which would have swept them all away. 
Their foresight aud understanding, how- 
ever, were equal to their courage, and they 
knew when to stop. 

This skirmish has been claimed by some 
to have been the first battle of the war 
upon Pennsylvania soil. If the affair 
which occurred in MeConnellsburg be- 
tween this same body of cavalry and a 
detachment of rebels, supposed to have 
been from Jenkins' force, took place at the 
time stated, of which I am not positively 
certain, then it was the second battle. If 
the rebel force engaged at MeConnellsburg 
was not a detachment from Jenkins' 
command, but from some other later on 
in the invasion, then the afTair near 
Greeneastle was the first of the war upon 
our soil. The result of this battle— if it 
can properly be called such — was one man 



46 



Reminiscences of the War 



killed and oue wounded. The killed was 
Corporal Rile. He was shot through the 
upper lip, the hall passing through his 
head. His blood bespattered the paling 
fence near Mr. Flenaming's dwelling. 
The wounded was Lieut. Cafierty. He 
was shot through the leg. No casualties 
were known on the rebel side. These 
brave New Yorkers will be again introdu- 
ced to our readers in a subsequent chapter, 
in a scene enacted near this same historic 
place, but under widely different circum- 
stances. 

We return now to the camp of the 
New York soldiers near Chambers- 
burg. About 5 o'clock in the afternoon of 
this same day a great commotion was 
observed all over the camp. The officers 
were running around, and in an excited 
manner giving commands. The soldiers 
at the guns hastily abandoned them, and 
the whole command hurriedly left and 
marched to town and embarked upon a 
train in readiness for them, leaving guns, 
caissons, tents, &c., standing. Word had 
been brought, probably by some of the 
cavalrymen already spoken of, of the 
proximity of the rebel infantry and caval- 
ry. Our home guard, by direction of Col. 
McClure, then in line with other of our 
citizens, hauled the guns and caissons to 
town and placed them upon the train with 
the panic-stricken soldiers. Two of these 
soldiers were taken with nervous spasms, 
and one of them, unable to proceed witli 
his comrades, was taken to the residence 
of Mr. Emanuel Kuhn on East Market 
street, where he remained concealed dur- 
ing all the period of the invasion and 
until after the retreat of the rebels after 
the battle of Gettysburg. The authorities, 
under whose command this regiment was 
acting, were aware of the situation, and 
gave them timely notice to leave, but 
there was no occasion for their hasty 
flight, for the next morning before Jen- 
kins' cav^alry appeared some of our citizens 
went out and brought in their tents and 
camp equipage. Among these were 
boxes of sardines and other delicacies, 
more suitable for a picnic than for the 
stern realities of the camp. 

Some of these New Yorkers went home 
and complained of the bad treatment 
which they had received. Some years 
after the close of the war I heard one of 
them tell to a number of admiring listners 
in a store in New York of their treatment, 
and saying that our citizens charged them 
for the water they drank. It did not take 
me long to take the romance out of his 
story, it is not pleasant to supplement 
the statement ot the heroism of the gal- 
lant cavalrymen from this same State 
with this delineation of cowardice and 
misrepresentation, for doubtless many of 



these men were moved by the highest 
considerations ot patriotism to rush to our 
border for our defense, but the statement 
I have given is one link in the chain of 
history of that exciting period which I 
dare not omit, and for the truth of which 
several of our most reliable citizens, who 
were eye-witnesses of it, stand ready to 
corroborate if called upon. 

Tup:sday, 2Hd. 

On Tuesday morning, at about nine or 
ten o'clock. Gen. Jenkins again entered 
our town. Unlike his former entrance, 
which was in the night and under evident 
alarm, and were made with a wild rush 
down our streets, he this time came in 
slowly and confidently. A part of his 
force proceeded on down towards Ship- 
pensburg and others remained in the town. 
Shortly after his arrival he issued an order 
for a large amount of provisions for his 
command, all of which was to be brought 
to the Court House pavement in a short 
time. Of course we had to respond to this 
order and like the citizens of Greencastle, 
who in response to a similar demand, were 
all of one mind and brought onions, so we 
all seemed to have been moved by one 
idea and that was that this was a good 
time to get rid of old bacon, and sides and 
jowls, with a sprinkling of bread were 
brought in sufficient quantities to meet 
the occasion. This requisition, like his 
former one for firearms, was accompanied 
with the threat that all who did not com- 
ply would have their houses searched ; 
and as flitch after flitch and jowl after 
jowl was deposited upon the grea.^y pile, 
the name of the unwilling contributor to 
the stomach of the Southern Confederacy 
was taken down. It would be an inter- 
esting item of news to see that list, and 
ascertain who all were in the bacon busi- 
ness that day, but as I have not a copy of 
it lam compelled to deny my readers that 
gratification. 

About one or two hours after the en- 
trance of Gen. Jenkins, the sound of 
music was heard up Main street. Rhode's 
division of infantry, preceded by a band of 
musicians playing "Dixie," made its ap- 
pearance, coming over the brow of the 
hill by the Reformed church. Tliis was 
the first rebel infantry that had ever pene- 
trated a free State. 

As to the precise day when the first 
infantry entered our town, there is some 
difference of opinion ; and upon this fact 
I liave experienced the only difficulty in 
harmonizing the several accounts before 
me. Some few of our citizens, and one 
record made at the time, fix upon 
Wednesday, 24th, the day after Jenkins' 
entrance, as the day. The evidence, how- 
ever, in favor of Tuesday, 2od, is so over- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



47 



whelming that I am constrained to decide 
upon that day. That evidence is as fol- 
lows : 

1. The recollections of some our citi- 
zens. 

2. The editorial of Col. McClure in the 
J^'ranklin Repositorij of July 15th. 1863. 
Col. McClure says: "On the 2od, a por- 
tion of his (Ewell's) command reached 
this place, and on the 24th, (Jen. Powell 
himself arrived. 

;;. The statement of Professor Jacobs 
in his Battle of Oettysbiirc/. On page 12, 
Professor Jacobs says : "During the fore- 
noon of this day (Tuesday, 23d) Gen. 
Rhodes' Division entered and occupied 
Chambersburg. 

4. On this day — Tuesday — the head of 
Early's division, which marched parallel 
with Rhodes, but by the road through 
Waynesboro' and Funkstown, reached 
Greenwood. It is not to be supposed that 
it would be a day in advance of its sup- 
porting division. 

5. The advance of Rhodes' division 
reached Carlisle on Thursday, 25th. 

This they could not have done in one 
day from .Chambersburg. 

Throughout the remaining part of this 
day — Tuesday, 23d— our street was at no 
time clear of soldiers. Regiment after 
regiment and brigade after brigade, with 
immense trains of artillery and wagons, 
were continually passing, until, according 
to one account handed me, 10,300 men — 
infantry, artillery and cavalry — passed 
through and on dowMi the valley towards 
Harrisburg. 

During the afternoon of this day, a raid 
of a most shameful and yet ludicrous 
character occurred in the neighborhood of 
where the new depot now stands. Upon 
the site of this depot stood a large frame 
building, once used as a forwarding or 
railroad freight warehouse. In this build- 
ing were stored a large amount of govern- 
ment stores, such as crackers, beans, 
bacon, etc. The rebels had not yet found 
these stores, and some of our people — most- 
ly those who resided in the eastern part of 
the town, and had no scruples against 
taking anything from Uncle Sam they 
could, rather than have the rebels take 
them — made a raid upon these stores and 
in a short time cleaned out the whole 
stock. Men, women and children came 
running in crowds, and a general scramble 
took place, and upon every street and alley 
leading from the warehouse persons were 
seen carrying bacon and rolling barrels of 
crackers and beans. In the general melee 
some came in contact with others, and 
scolding, kicking and fighting ensued. 
One woman in rolling away a barrel of 
crackers came in contact with another roll- 
ing away a similar prize, and, crowding 



her too much, she turned around and 
kicked at the other, but not being ac- 
quainted with the laws of gravitation and 
momentum, missed her aim and went 
sprawling backward over her own barrel. 
By the time she had gathered herself up 
some one had rolled away her prize, at 
which a general fight set in. A reliable 
witness to whom I am indebted for this 
description of this shameful and ludicrous 
occurrence, assures me of its correctness, 
and says that he saw one man roll away 
four barrels and put them in his cellar. 

Wednesday, 24th. 

Throughout this day long columns of 
infantry and artillery, with the usual ac- 
companimentsofimmense trains of wagons 
and cattle, streamed through our streets, 
following those of the preceding day down 
the Harrisburg pike. About ten o'clock 
a carriage drawn by two horses came down 
street and stopped in front of the Frank- 
lin hotel, then kept by Mr. Daniel Trostle. 
One of the occupants of this carriage was 
a thin, sallow-faced man with strongly 
marked Southern features and a head and 
physiognomy which clearly indicated cul- 
ture, refinementandgenius. Whenhecame 
out of his carriage it was discovered that 
he had an artificial limb and used a crutch. 
After making his way into the hotel, he 
was at once surrounded by some six or 
eight gentlemanly looking persons who 
constituted his staff', and in the front room 
of this hotel he established his headquar- 
ters. This intellectual, but crippled sol- 
dier, was Lieutenant General R. 8. Ewell, 
the commander of the second corps of the 
army of Northern Virginia. 

Gen. Ewell was a graduate of West 
Point, and was for some time a civil engi- 
neer on the Columbia Railroad in this 
State. He had been at one time stationed 
at Carlisle in charge of theU. S. Barracks 
there. Soon after the commencement of 
the rebellion he joined the rebel cause, and 
rapidly rose to the position of Lieut. Gen- 
eral. He lost a leg at the second battle of 
Bull Run and, it was said, when he rode 
t)n horseback that he was always strapped 
to his horse. After the death of Stone- 
wall Jackson, he became the commander 
of that corps, and was at the time I am 
writing of in Chambersburg in command 
of the advance corps of the Araly of 
Northern Virginia on its way to its Wa- 
terloo. 

But Gen. Ewell was a man of business, 
and among his first acts was to seize the 
large public school house on King street, 
adjoining the jail, for a hospital. This was 
followed by a requisition upon some of the 
hotels for a number of beds, which were 
taken to this building and the sick of Ins 
corps was placed thereon . A Provost Mar- 



48 



Reminiscences of tJic Jfa;- 



shall was appointed, with headquarters in 
the Court House, and from the cupalo 
liung a rebel flag. This was the only hated 
symbol of the Confederacy which was put 
up anywhere in the town, A summons 
was also sent for the business men to con- 
vene in the parlor of the bank, and the 
few wlio had not fled upon the ai:)proach 
of the foe repaired there. After assem- 
bling, three of Ewell'sstafT oflicers joined 
us and opened up their business. By the 
authority of Gen. Ewell the following 
requisitions were laid before us : 

To the Authorities of C'hambersburr/, Pa. 

Hrat)OT^\ktet;s 2ni) Ariniy Corps, ) 
June 24th, 1SG:>. > 

By direction of Lieut. Gen. 11. S. Ewell, 1 
require the tollowing articles : 

5,000 Suits of Clotliinsx, inclu(lin<i- Hats, IJoofs 
and Shoes. 

100 good Saddles. 

100 good Bridles. 

.5,000 Bushels of Grain (corn or onts. ) 

10,000 lbs. Sole Leather. 

10,000 lbs. Hore Shoes. 

400 lbs. Horse Shoe Nails. 

Also, the use of printing office and two print- 
ers to report at once. All articles, except grain, 
will be delivered at the Court House Square, at 
^ ;5 o'clock, V. M. to-dav, and grain by ti o'clock, 
P. M. to-day. 

J. A. Harmon, 
Maj. and C. Q. M. 2nd Corps I). Arm. 



Headquarters 2nu Army Corp.s, } 
June 24th, 1863. ^ 

By the command of Lieut. Gen. E. S. Ewell, 
the citizens of Chambersburg will furnish the 
following articles by .3 o'clock this afternoon : 
0,000 R)s. Lead. 
10,000 lbs. Harness Leather. 
iJO Boxes of Tin. 

1,000 Curry Combs and Brushes. 
2,000 ll)s. Picket Rope. 
400 Pistols. 

All the CaiJS and Powder in town. 
Also, all the Neat's Foot Oil. 

Wm. Allen, i)/. ami ('. 



Headqi^ arters 2nd Army CoRrs, '( 
June 24th, 186.3. S 

By direction of Lieut. Gen. E. S. Ewell, the 
following are demanded : 
.-)0,000 lbs. Bread. 
100 Sacks Salt. 
;'.0 Barrels Molasses. 
."iOO Barrels Elour. 
25 Barrels Vinegar. 
25 Barrels Beans. 
25 Bai-rels Dried Fruit. 
25 Barrels Saurkraut. 
25 Barrels Potatoes. 
11,000 lbs. Coffee. 
10,000 lbs. Sugar. 
100, 0(X) lbs. Hard Bread. 



This last requisition is without signa- 
ture ; it was probably omitted in copying 



it lor the press. It was, however, pre- 
sented by Maj. Hawke's Quartermaster 
General of Ewell's Corps, who was pres- 
ent and presented it in person. "Tliese req- 
uisitions, as well as the General Orders is- 
sued by Lee and Ewell, which will be in- 
troduced further .on in this narrative, I 
have taken from the Franklin depository 
of July 8th and 1.5th, 1803. Col. M'Clure 
was editor and proprietor of the Meposi- 
fory at that time, and being intimate with 
the late G. R. Messersmith, in whose 
hands these requisitions were left, he cop- 
ied them into his journal either from the 
originals or copies furnished by Mr. Mess- 
ersmith. As to Lee's and EwelTs orders, 
they had been liberally distributed through- 
out the town, and at the time of their re- 
publication in the liepository ., they could 
have been easily obtained. It is a fortu- 
nate circumstance that these important pa- 
pers have been thus preserved, for their 
scarceity now, if not their entire disap- 
pearance from the possession of any, may 
be inferred from the fact that notwith- 
standing I advertised through Puhlh 
Opinion for them, I had but one response, 
and tbat was one of the originals of Ew- 
ell's General Order in the possession of Miss 
M. E. Hetfleman, of this place. My recol- 
lections of these papers are such that I am 
positive in the statement that they are 
correct and faithful copies of theoriginals. 
After an introduction to the three offi- 
cers, and the reading of the papers, there 
was a period of silence. Here was a chance 
for business on a magnificent scale, but the 
terms did not seem to be satisfactory. Then , 
too, it was a little out of season for saur- 
kraut, but our Southern visitors seemed to 
think that as they were among "the Penn- 
sylvania Dutch," that luxury could be had 
the whole year round. They did notknow 
that like their "Hog and Hominy" saur- 
kraut was specially a home dish, and nev- 
er set before strangers. Judge Kimmell, 
who had acted as Provost Marshal the 
year previous, and had been appointed by 
Gov. Curtin to superintend atfairs here 
during the war, was, by common consent, 
permitted to act as spokesman, and taking 
up the papers and scanning them for awhile 
threw them down upon the table, saying : 
"Why, gentlemen, you must suppose that 
we are made of ttiese things— <en — thou- 
sand — 2}oimds — of Sole Leathet — ten — 
thousand— 2i0unds— of— Harness Leather 
— one — hundred — thousand — poicnds — of — 
bread — twenty-five — barrels — of — soar — 
kraut — it is utterly out of our power to 
furnish these things, and now, if you are 
going to burn us out you will only have to 
doit. That's all I have to say about it." 
Whether the Judge's anger was excited by 
the disproportion between the amount of 
sa\irkraut and the bread, or whether he 



Reminiscences of the War. 



49 



feared this demand would exhaust the 
market of bis favorite dish, I am not able 
to say. The officers, however, did not be- 
come in the least excited, and replied, 
"Why, gentlemen, we are no vandals; we 
have not come here to burn and plunder, 
but to wage an honorable warfare. We have 
studied the Census Reports, and know the 
resources of your county, and now if the 
town cannot furnish these things, send out 
throughout thecounty and bring them in." 
"How can weseudout,"repIied the Judge ; 
"we have no horses, and all that have not 
been sent away have been taken by your 
men.'' "Well," said one of the officers, 
"it will not do for you to say that you can- 
not furnish these articles ; Gen. Ewell will 
not receive such a reply. You must say 
just what you can do, and now we will 
give you time to consult together, and let 
those who deal in the same articles get to- 
gether and make out a written report of 
what they can furnish, and we will meet 
here again in two hours to receive these 
reports." 

At this we scattered, and the business of 
stock-taking was at once begun. I went 
at once to consult the other merchants in 
town in relation to the groceries demand- 
ed, for at that time and up to the burning 
of the town, the dry goods merchants all 
dealt in groceries ; but I could not find one 
of them. Most of them liad gone off upon 
the approach of the rebels. I then sat 
down and wrote out my report about thus : 

"Gentlemen, There are in our cellar the 
following articles. (Then followed the 
number of hogsheads and barrels, tapped 
and untapped, of syrup and molasses, — 
the amount of sugar, &c.) I haye gone 
around town and tried to see other dealers 
in these articles, but have failed to find 
one of them. I now submit the question 
to you whether it would be right to take 
all our stock to meet your requisition, or 
let the burden fall equally upon all." Sign- 
ing our firm name to tliis paper, I went 
over to the bank and handed it to Judge 
Kimmell, telling him of its contents-. At 
the time appointed the citizens again con- 
vened with die officers in the parlor of the 
bank, but another requisition was laid upon 
the table from the Chief of the Signal 
Corps, calling for a first-class field glass, 
adapted for night service. Among the re- 
ports handed in was one from that well-re- 
membered dealer in made up clothing, 
Mr. Marks Fellheimer. He had called to 
his assistance Kev. J. Dickson to write 
out his report, and proposed to furnish as 
his quota about five vests, two pairs of 
pants and three jackets, saying, '"•indeed, 
Mr. Dickson, that's all I'vegot." When 
the officers came Judge Kimmell handed 
them the papers, calling special attention 
to the one handed in by me. We were di- 



rected to remain until Gen. Ewell had 
time to examine the reports. In about half 
an hour one of the officers returned, saying 
that Gen. Ewell directed that every one of 
us should go at once to his place of busi- 
ness, and he would send a guard to exam- 
ine for themselves. Standing in front of 
our store, key in hand, ready to unlock the 
door when called upon, Maj. Hawkes rid- 
ing by, stopped and said, "You are Mr. 
Hoke, are you not V Gen. Ewell says that 
you have made the only satisfactory re- 
port, and your groceries will not be dis- 
turbed. It may be necessary for us to 
have a barrel or two of that New Orleans 
molasses, but otherwise you shall not be 
disturbed." A short time after this squads 
of six or eight men, under command of an 
officer, were seen going here and there 
throughout the town examining the con- 
tentsof stores, shops and cellars. When one 
of these squads came to our store, and the of- 
ficer in command ordered me to unlock the 
door, I told him what Maj. Hawkes had 
told me. He replied, "That's all right; I 
have my orders ; open your door." When 
the door was opened he gave an order, 
when a soldier was placed at each side of 
the door, and crossing their bayonets, no 
one was permitted to enter but the officer. 
He went back to the rear end of the store, 
and without attempting to examine any 
place, came out and told me to lock the 
door, saying, "All right now ; you will not 
be disturbed. " He did not enter the cellar 
at all. After these squads had reported at 
headquarters. Grocery, Drug, Hardware, 
Book and Stationary, Clothing, Boot and 
Shoe, and other stores, were relieved of a 
considerable part of their contents. In 
some cases payment was made in confed- 
erate scrip. In this work of plunder. 
Major Todd, a brother of the wife of our 
honored President, Lincoln, seemed to be 
the leading spirit. During this day he 
came near losing his life, for while attemp- 
ting to force an entrance into the cellar of 
Dr. Richards, his daughter flourished an 
axe over his head, and threatened to split 
it open if he persevered, when the misera- 
ble miscreant ingloriously lied. 

It is out of my power to give any esti- 
mate of the amount of property taken 
from our citizens on that day, and on oth- 
er days during the invasion. This much 
can be said, that many persons who had 
toiled and economized for years and years 
together to gain an honorable support for 
themselves and families, were ruined finan- 
cially, and although the most of them 
started again in a smaller way, they never 
recovered from the losses of that day, and 
some of them, after meeting other losses 
were finally burned out a year later, and 
died in poverty. I am aware that the ap- 
l^ropriation of this property for the use of 



50 



Reminiscences of tJie War 



the aruiy was iu accordance with the rules 
of war, but why it is that the government, 
which reimburses loyal men in the South 
— and it is feared in many cases rebels also 
— for losses sustained, refuses as much to 
our loyal people here, seems a problem 
hard to solve. 

Ou the day following this plunderof our 
town, Maj. Hawkes rode up to me and told 
me that he was under the necessity of hav- 
ing two barrels of our New Orleans molas- 
ses. These he took, paying me in confed- 
erate scrip. After this our cellar was un- 
disturbed until the followingSunday, when 
it was cleaned out, as shall be related in its 
proper place. In paying me for this mo- 
lasses, Maj. Hawkes told me that he was 
born, I think, in New York, but for a 
number of years had been engaged in the 
manufacture of carriages in Charlestown, 
West Virginia. Dr. Haycock, of this place, 
tells me that he was intimately acquainted 
with him ; that he was an excellent man, 
and that during the occupancy of Manas- 
sas Junction by the confederate forces in 
the winter of 18G1-2, he visited that camp 
and saw him there. When here he had 
his son — a boy of probably 12 to 14 years 
of age— with him. He asked me to give 
this boy a pair of pants, and seeing that he 
needed them badly, I purchased a second- 
hand pair for him. This boy, too, when he 
came for the pants, seeing my wife baking 
bread, asked for a loaf, saying that flour 
was issued to them, and they had to bake 
for themselves, and he was tired of fresh 
cakes. 

As nearly as I can recollect it was to 
Major Hawkes that I gave the letters con- 
taining the messages of the wounded reb- 
els on South Mountain, referred to in chap- 
ter 6. 

Among the things demanded of our 
town in the requisitions made, as will 
have been seen, was "the use of a Printing 
ofltice and two printers" to do some print- 
ing for the invading army. And as no 
response was made to this demand, the 
printing fraternity were dealt with as the 
merchants and shopkeepers. A guard in 
charge of an officer was sent out to take 
possession of some one of our printing es- 
tablishments, and the ofHce of the Re- 
formed Messevffer — the printing estab- 
lishment of that church, then located in 
the building known as the Mansion 
House, and standing where the cigar 
store of Mr. H. B. Hatnick and the dry 
goods establishment of Messrs, Hollar & 
Appenzellar now stands — was chosen. 
The officer in charge of this guard called 
at the residence of Mr. Samuel Etter, on 
East Market street, in which Mr. M. A. 
Foltz, the editor and proprietor of Public 
Opinion, and at that time employed as 
foreman in this office, resided, and inform- 



ed him of the object of his visit. He 
proposed to Mr. Foltz to superintend the 
execution of the work they wished to 
have done, assuring him that if he com- 
plied with this request a guard would be 
placed to protect the property, and that 
nothing would be taken from it ; other- 
wise forcible possession would be taken 
and no guarantee would be given as to the 
contents of the building. At that time 
paper and printing material were very 
high, and the office having a large stock 
of expensive paper on hand for an edition 
of a book they were publishing, Mr. 
Foltz at once saw the propriety of accept- 
ing the proposition, and without waiting 
for the consent of Dr. S. R. Fisher, the 
editor of the Messenger and Business 
Manager of the establishment, he proceed- 
ed to the office, calling to his assistance 
Mr. Henry Richter, another compositor 
of the house. The task required of them 
was the printing of a large number of 
General Orders issued by Generals Lee 
and Ewell, several thousand parole papers 
intended for the parolement of the prison- 
ers they expected to take, and a large 
amount of other blank work for the use of 
the army. The execution of this work 
took several days, and when it was com- 
pleted war prices were charged and the 
bill paid in Confederate scrip. Dr. Fisher, 
whose financial ability was unsurpassed 
by no other person in the community, 
succeeded in some way of disposing of this 
worthless paper at twenty-five cents on 
the dollar. This was the best conducted 
business transaction with the Confederates 
that occuraed here during the invasion, 
and it was only surpassed by one other, 
which occurred in the Valley of Virginia 
— and by a preacher, too, about this same 
time — which will be related further on in 
this narrative. 

Among the first papers that were print- 
ed at that time, and profusely scattered 
throughout the town and army, were 
some General Orders issued by Generals 
Lee and Ewell. Some of these had beeii 
written before the army reached this 
place, but were only printed and circula- 
ted here. The first of these orders was 
one by General Lee, and bore date of 
June 21st. This was ou the preceding 
Sabbath, and before that part of the army 
which Gen. Lee was with had crossed the 
Potomac. Its object was, as will be seen 
by its perusal, to define the general plan 
of the operations of his army while in our 
State in procuring supplies. This plan, 
to the credit of Gen. Lee be it said, was 
designed to confine the demands of his 
army, and the methods to be employed in 
securing them, within the limits of civi- 
lized warfare. The execution of these 
demands, however, would bear heavily 



Reminiscences of the War. 



51 



upon the people where his army would 
march, but would and did prevent enter- 
ing private houses, and the indiscriminate 
plundering of private property. This 
order was as follows : 

Ukadquarters Ahmv ok Northern i 

Virginia. \ 

JuneL'l.st, 18(r.. ) 

General Orders Ko. 72. — Wliile in the eno- 
luy's country, the following regulations for 
pnjcuring supplies will be strictly observed, 
and any violation of them pronijitly and vigor- 
jinsly imnished : 

I. No imvate in-operty shall be injured or 
destroyed by any person belonging to or con- 
nected with the army, or taken, except by the 
ofticer hereinafter designated. 

II. The chiefs of the Commissary, Quarter- 
master, Ordnance and Medical departments of 
the array will make requisitions uijon the local 
authorities or inhabitants for the nece.ssary 
suiiiilies for their respective departments, des- 
ignating the places and times of delivery. All 
persons complying with such requisitions shall 
lie paid the market price for the articles fur- 
nished, if they so desire, and the officer making 
such payment shall make duplicate receii>ts 
for thft same, siiecifying the name of the person 
paid, and the quantity, kind, and price of the 
pi'operty, one of which receipts shall be at 
once forwarded to the chief of the depai'tment 
to which such officer is attached. 

III. Should the authorities or inhabitants 
neglect or refuse to comply with such requisi- 
tion, the supplies required shall be taken from 

. The nearest inhabitants so refusing, by the 
orders and under the directions of the respec- 
tive chiefs of the departments named. 

IV. AVhen any command is detached from 
the main body, the chiefs of the several 
departments of such command will procure 
supjilies for the same, and such other stores as 
They may be ordered to provide, in the manner 
and subject to the provisions hei'ein ])rescribed, 
reporting their action to the heads of their 
res])ective departments, to which they will 
forward duplicates of all vouchers given or 
received. 

\ . All persons who shall decline to receive 
l)ayment for property furnished on requisitions, 
and all from whom it shall be necessary to 
lake stores or supplies, shall be furnished by 
the officers receiving or taking the same with a 
receipt specifying the kind and the quantity of 
the property received or taken, as the case 
may be, the name of the per.son from whom it 
was received or taken, the command for the 
ust^ of whicli it is intended, and tlu^ markeT 
price. A duplicate of said receipt shall be at 
once forwarded to th<! chief of the department 
10 which the officer by whom it is <!xecuted is 
attached. 

VI. If any jierson .shall remove or conceal 
jiroperty necessary for the use of the army, or 
attempt to do so, the officers liereinbefor*^ men- 
tioned will cause such i)roperty and all other 
])ropcrty belonging to such persons that may 
l)e reqiiired by the army, to be seized, and tl\e 
officer seizing the same will fortliwith report to 
the chief of his de]iai*tment the kind, quantity 



and market price of the propertj^ so seized, and 
the name of the owner. 
By command of Gen. II. E. Lee. 

II. H. Chilton, A. A. awl I. U. 

On the day following this Order by Gen. 
Lee, Gen. Ewell, the remainder of whose 
Corps crossed the Potomac on thi.s day and 
led the advance into our State, issued the 
following general order : 

Headquarters 2i) Corp.s, } 
Army of Northern Virginia, June 22d, ISO;;. \ 

General Orders, No. 4^. — In moving in the 
enemy's country the utmost circumspection 
and vigilance are necessary for the safety of 
the army and the success of the great object it 
has to accomplish depends upon the oljservance 
of the most rigid discipline. The Lieut General 
commanding, therefore, most earnestly appeals 
to the officers and men of his command, who 
have attested their bravery and devotion to the 
cau.se of their country on so many battle fields, 
to yield a ready acquiescence in the rules 
requii'cd by the exigencies of the case. 

AH straggling and marauding from the 
I'anks, and all marauding and xjlundering by 
individuals are ijrohibited, upon pain of the 
severest penalties known to the service. 

What is required for the use of the army will 
be taken under regiTlations to be established by 
the Commanding General, according to the 
rules of civilized warfare. 

Citizens of the country through which the 
army may pass, who are not in the military 
service, are admonished to abstain from all 
acts of hostility, upon the penalty of being 
dealt Avith in a summary manner. A ready 
acquiescence to the demands of the militar.\- 
authorities will .serve greatly to lessen the 
rigors of war. 

Bv command of 

Lieut. Gen. E. S. Eaveli.. 

A. L. Pendleton, A. A. Gen. 

This order was evidently issued by Gen. 
Eweli in ignorance of Lee's order to the 
same effect. This is accounted for in the 
fact that Ewell was not with Lee, but in 
the advance with his troops. 

On Wednesday, 24th, shortly after 
Ewell's arrival here, and two days after 
issuing the Order just given, he issued an 
Order, vviiich, it will be seen, was design- 
ed to prevent his men from seizing upon 
the liquors here and becoming intoxicated. 
It is to be regretted that this Order was 
not made permanent in our 'place for all 
time to come. The following is tiial 
Order : 

Headquaktek.s 2d Corps, i 

Army of Northern Virginia, ^■ 

CHAMBER.sniTR(;, June 24th, 18ti.;. ) 

General Orders. — I. The .sale of intoxicating 
liquors to this command, without written per- 
mission from a Major General, is strictly pro- 
liibited. 

I i . Persons having liquor in their j^ossession 
are reqiiired to re]iort th(> fact to the J'rovost 
Marshall, or the nearest g(?nei-al officer, stating 
the amount and kind, tli.it a guard may ]»• 



52 



Reminisce^iccs of the War. 



placed over ih, and tbc men prevented from 
yetting it. 

III. Any violation of Part I of these orders, 
or failure to comply with Part II, will be pun- 
ished by the immediate confiscation of all 
liquors in the possession of the offendinj;- par- 
ties, beside rendering their other i^roperty 
liable to seizure. 

TV. Citizens of the country through Avhicli 
the army may i^ass, who are not in the milita- 
ry service, are admonished to abstain from all 
acts of hostility, upon the penalty of being- 
dealt with in a summary manner. A ready 
acquiescence to the demands of the military 
authorities will serve to lessen the rigors of 
war. 

r.v command of 

Lieut. Gen. U. S. Ewkll. 

A. S. Pendletox, a. a. General. 

I am not aware to what extent those 
having liquor in their possession respond- 
ed to this requisition and reported the 
same at headquarters, but very soon after 
Powell's entrance guards were stationed at 
all places where it was kept. If there 
were any cases of drunlienness among the 
whole of the Southern army, I did not see 
a single instance. One of our citizens 
now residing here— Mr. John F. Croft— 
at the time of this invasion, kept a whole- 
.sale liquor store in one of the rooms of 
Franklin Hall. The guard stationed over 
his liquors were always on hand and kept 
strict vigilance. Officers would some- 
times call for a gallon or two for hospital 
■purposes. Mr. Croft says that not only 
during the day were these calls made, but 
frequently during the night. Either the 
old and worn out plea of "a little for the 
stomach's sake" was employed as a pre- 
text, or else high living and Conoco- 
cheague water did not agree with them. 
Still there was no drunkenness that we 
could see ; but that there was at least one 
case, will be seen in the proceedings of the 
Court Martial of an officer hereinafter 
given. 

It will be seen from these Orders of Lee 
and Ewell, that private property was to 
be respected, and in no case taken except 
when needed by the army, and then only 
by officers specially charged for this duty 
and under the regulations prescribed. 
Candor compels me to state that, except in 
the plundering of our citizens by Long- 
street's Corps, and some few robberies com- 
mitted by stragglers while away from 
their commands, these humane regula- 
tions were observed. The taking of gro- 
ceries, provisions, stationery, hardware, 
hats, boots and shoes, drugs, horses, cattle, 
corn, oats, hay, etc., was clearly within 
the rules of civilized warfare, and nothing 
more than our own army did in the 
enemy's country. And having been rec- 
ognized by the Government as beligerents 
in the exchange of prisoners, and in other 



ways, the Confederate army had the right 
while in the enemy's country, to the 
usages accorded to beligerents. This to 
their credit, be it said, they exacted of us 
with(jut many acts of wanton and useless 
plunder. Longstreet's Corps while here, 
as I shall relate hereafter, made no formal 
demands but helped themselves to what- 
ever they wanted and could find. I will 
add what truth and candor compels me to 
state, however distasteful it may be to 
.some, that from all the conceptions I had 
formed from history of the desolations 
produced by an invading army — in a civil 
warfare especially, which is usually at- 
tended with more rancor and bitterness 
than one between opposing Nations, this 
invasion of our State widely differed. 
Except in some instances private houses 
were not entered with hostile intent, and 
then only by stragglers from the main 
columns. But one person — Mr. Strite — 
was killed. He resided some distance 
from the road over which the army pass- 
ed, some three miles south of town, and 
while standing in hisyard three stragglers 
from Hill's Corps came up to him and 
demanded his money, which he immedi- 
ately gave them. Soon afterward two 
more stragglers came and demanded 
money, and having no more, they killed 
and buried his body under a pile of 
manure. Hats, boots, watches and pocket 
books were taken, but never in the pres- 
ence of an officer. Rev. Dr. B. S. 
Schneek was caught on the outskirts of 
the town, and his pocket book containing 
about fifty dollars and a valuable gold 
watch were taken from him. The watch 
had been presented to him by a friend 
while in Europe a few years previously. 
Rev. Father Cullom of the Catholic 
church was also robbed of his boots and 
pocket book. It is said that when he 
returned to town he used some language 
neither complimentary to the rebels nor 
in harmony with the sanctity of his pro- 
fession. Other similar robberies were 
reported, but they were always by strag- 
glers and marauders. The rebels, how- 
ever, had a way of confiscating hats, even 
in the presence of officers, which is worthy 
of mention. And as a specimen of the 
way it was usually done, I will relate the 
following case: On Saturday evening, 
the 24th, wliile the Louisiana Tigers, as 
they were called, were marching past our 
store, Dr. Langhein and I sat upon our 
door step. Many of these soldiers had 
their miserable old slouched hats under 
their arms, and walked along bare-headed. 
This was by mutual understanding and 
for a purpose as will shortly appear. 
Some of these men had no hat at all, and 
it was for the purpose of capturing one 
that this ruse was resorted to. As we sat 



Reminiscaiccs of the War. 



thus upon the door step, the rebels leaving 
the street because it was badly cut up and 
muddy and marching upon the pavements, 
one of them grabbed the doctor's tine, 
sleek drab slouch hat and thrusting it 
under his arm and crushing it all out of 
shape, marched on as if nothing had occur- 
red. The doctor sprang to his feet and ran 
after him, when the officer in command, 
who was riding along in the street near 
where it occurred, rode up and said, 
"Show me the man who has taken your 
hat and I will see to it." But the men 
marched on in silence, the streaming col- 
umn dare not be interrupted, and unable 
to recognize either the man or his hat, he 
gave up the pursuit in disgust. There 
was considerable profanity and a mixture 
of English and Dutch when the doctor 
returned. 

Generals Hill's and Longstreet's corps 
this day crossed the Potomac, the former 
at Shepherdstown and the latter at Wil- 
liamsport, and united at Hagerstown— Hill 
in advance. 

With the purpose to preserve another 
important paper, although not directly 
connected with the operations of the Con- 
federates in this place, and to present the 
meanness and inhumanity of Gen. Early, 
one of Lee's Division Commanders, in con- 
trast with the humanity of Lee himself, 
I introduce here the order, or address, of 
the former to the citizens of York during 
its occupancy by his troops. Be it remem- 
bered that this address was issued after 
Early had exacted of the people of York 
S28,000 for the ransom of that place : 

To the citizens of York: — I have abstained 
from burning the raih-oad buildings and car 
shops in your town, because, after examination, 
I am satisfied the safety of the town would be 
endangered ; and, acting in the spirit of human- 
ity, which has ever characterized my Govern- 
ment and its military authorities, I do not de- 
sign to involve the innocent in the same pun- 
ishment with the guilty. Had I applied the 
torch without regard to consequences, I would 
liave pursued a coui'se that would have been 
vindicated as an act of retaliation for the many 
authorized acts of barbarity jjcrpetrated by 
your own army Tipon our soil. JUit we do not 
war upon women and children, and I trust the 
treatment you have met with at the liands of 
my soldiers will open your eyes to tlie mon- 
strous iniquity of the war waged by ycnir gov- 
ernment upon the people of the Confederate 
states, and that you will make an eitbrt to shake 
off the revolting tyranny under which it is ap- 
parent to you all you are yourselves undergo- 
ing. 

J. A. Early, Maj. Gen. C. S. A. 

This Gen. Early seems to have an in- 
stinct for burning the property of our peo- 
ple, which only needed an opportunity to 
manifest itself. It was he who issued the 



order to McCausland to burn Chambers- 
burg, and it was the same dastardly villain 
who burned the Caledonia Iron Works be- 
longing to Hon. Thaddeus Stevens, as pre- 
viously referred to. These works were sit- 
uated at the base of the South Mountain, 
about ten miles from this place, on the road 
leading to Gettysburg. They consisted of 
a large Charcoal Furnace, Forge, Rolling 
Mill, Coal House, Shops, Stables, &c. Hon. 
John Sweney, at that time Mr. Stevens' 
business manager, gives me the following 
account of their destruction : On Tuesday, 
16th, while Jenkins occupied Chambers- 
burg, one of the marauding parties which 
went all about the county after horses and 
other plunder, visited these Iron Works, 
and after promising that they should not 
be destroyed if all the horses and mules 
were given up, left with about forty valu- 
able animals with gears, &c. Mr. Sweney 
says they came near capturing Mr. Stev- 
ens himself, who was then on a visit, and 
had been taken hurridly away,aeainst his 
protests, to Shippensburg. On Tuesday, 
23d, the same day that Rhodes' division of 
EwelTs corps entered this place, the ad- 
vance of Early's division of the same 
corps reached Caledonia Iron Works, on 
its way to Gettysburg and York. Mr. 
Sweney had a conversation with Early as 
he sat on his horse on the bridge there, and 
endeavored to dissuade him from carrying 
out his threat to destroy the works. He 
told him that so far as Mr. Stevens was 
concerned, he would have been better oflf 
if his works had been destroyed ten years 
before, but for the sake of the many poor 
people who would be tiirown out of em- 
ployment, he should spare the works. 
Early replied : "That is not the way Yan- 
kees do business." He also said that Mr. 
Stevens was "an enemy of the South, in 
favor of confiscating their property and 
arming their negroes, and the property 
must be destroyed." He then placed a 
guard around it and gave special instruc- 
tions that it should not be destroyed until 
he gave the order. Early then returned 
to Greenwood, where he had his headquar- 
ters, but returned the next day and per- 
sonally detailed Col. French to apply the 
torch. The work of destruction was thor- 
oughly done, and soon all the works were 
in ashes. Mr. Stevens' loss was estimated . 
at about $oO,000. 

Chambersburg, has never, so far as I 
know, been dishonored by the presence of 
Gen. Early. I have never seen him, and 
do not particularly desire ever to do so. 
But if the choice of one of the rebel lead- 
ers to fall into the hands of Phil. Sheri- 
dan, had been left to me, next to Jeflf' Da- 
vis himself, I would have selected Jubal 
A. Early as the right man for the right 
place. Long live Phil Sheridan for the 



54 



Reminiscences of the War. 



repeated thrashings he gave to this ill-na- 
tured rebel and traitor. 

Thursday, 25Tn. 

On this, as on the day previous, infant- 
ry, artillery and long trains of wagons 
passed through town and on down towards 
Harrisburg, As already stated the corps 
of Hill and Longstreet crossed the Poto- 
mac on the day previous — Wednesday, 
i!4th. It will thus be seen that the arnay 
which was moving into our State extend- 
ed from the Potomac to Shippensburg, a 
distance of forty miles. I have no hesita- 
tion in saying that if Early's Division, 
Stuart's and Imboden's cavalry, and other 
detachments from the army which passed 
through here, had all been called in and 
added to the line, it would have extended 
nearly all the way from this place to Har- 
risburg. This may seem incredible, but 
its truthfulness will appear when I state 
that I shall have occasion hereafter to tell 
of one single wagon train which extended 
from seventeen to tiventi/-Jive miles, and an- 
other fourteen miles. No idea can be 
formed of the Imm^enseness of an army 
such as Lee's, with its appendages, by any 
description which can be given. Actual 
observation alone can give an adequate 
idea of its magnitude. Pemit me here to 
digress from the order I have chosen, to 
give the following observations which may 
assist the reader in forming some concep- 
tions of this immense host. 

First, as is usually the case with armies 
on the march, came a brigade of cavalry, 
and after an interval, the difTerent regi- 
ments and brigades composing a division. 
There were here and there along the line 
bands of excellent music. "Dixie" and 
"My Maryland" were the favorite pieces 
played. These were followed by a train of 
artillery composed of cannon, caissons and 
forges ; then a long train of heavily load- 
ed wagons, filled with shot, shells and oth- 
er ammunition. These wagons were each 
drawn by four or six horses or mules, and 
in passing through our streets they made 
that grinding noise which indicated im- 
mense weight of freightage. The wagon 
train was usually followed by another train 
of reserve artillery, and from fifty to one 
hundred cattle for the use of the division. 
Following this division, alter a short in- 
terval, came another, and another, in the 
same order, until an entire corps had 
passed. The passage of a corps usually oc- 
cupied about a day and a half, and so close- 
ly was one succeeded by another that it 
would be impossible to fix upon the pre- 
cise time when one departed and another 
came. Many of the wagons, horses, mules, 
and cannon bore the inscription "U. S.," 
and were evidently captured or stolen from 
the government. The rear of the army. 



like its advance, was a large torce of cav- 
alry. Each regiment and brigade had its 
flag, but there seemed to be no two entire- 
ly alike. Some bore the ensignia of the 
State from which it came, and others some 
other device, and but few the Stars and 
Bars of the Confederacy. This diversity 
of flags was typical of the cause for which 
they fought — for a government composed 
of a number of independent sovreignties, 
while the grand army of the Union car- 
ried but one flag— the glorious Stars and 
Stripes, representing a sovereign head 
with many members. 

The rebel 'nfantry, as they marched 
through our streets, presented a solid front. 
They came in close marching order, the 
difterent brigades, divisions and corps, all 
within supporting distance. Their dress 
consisted of nearly every imaginable style 
and color, the butternut largely predomi- 
nating. Some had blue blouses, which 
they had captured, or stripped from the 
Union dead. Hats, or the skeletons of 
what were once hats, surmounted their 
partly covered heads. Many were ragged, 
dirty and shoeless, afibrding unmistakable 
evidence that they sadly stood in need of 
having their wardrobes replenished. They 
were all, however, well armed and under 
perfect discipline. They seemed to move 
as one vast machine, and laughing, talk- 
ing, singing or cheering, was not indulged 
in. Straggling was scarcely seen, but when 
any did wander away from the lines, and 
tind any of our citizens in retired places 
while they occupied the town, they did not 
hesitate to appropriate to themslves hats, 
boots, watches and pocket books. This 
proves that their good behavior when 
under the eyes of their officers was due to 
discipline rather than innate honesty or 
good breeding. 

There was a perceptible difference be- 
tween the character of the cavalry and the 
infantry. The former, as a class, were su- 
perior in all respects. This may be ac- 
counted for in the fact that the cavalry 
was composed mostly of the well to do, the 
educated, the slaveholders, — those belong- 
ing to "the first families," while the rank 
and file of the infantry were the lower 
classes.lthe uneducated, the non-slave hold- 
ing, "the poor white trash" of Southern 
society, the most of whom were conscrip- 
ted into the service. These had no intelli- 
gent understanding of what they were 
fighting for, and when interrogated would 
say that they were fighting for "our 
rights." What rights any of them ever 
possessed,exceptto bow obsequiously to the 
aristocratic classes, to lounge in idleness, 
to eat clay, curse the abolitionists, hate 
niggers and denounce "nigger equality," 
would be hard to tell. That the majority 
of them ever owned a home of their own, 



Reminiscences of iJie War. 



nr) 



or could read nud vvrile, or had any ade- 
quate conceptions of the value and great- 
ness of the government they were trying 
to overthrow, no one who conversed with 
them could believe. There was a marked 
difference in these men, which seemed a 
j)eculiarity of all from the same State. 
Those from Mississivipi and Texas were 
luore vicious and defiant than those from 
other parts of the South. Usually thedis- 
satisfied and those seeking opportunities to 
escape, were from North Carolina. Some 
/iaid that they at first were for the preser- 
vation of the Union, but having been 
forced into the army, they only desired 
that their side should win. Here and 
there were some geniuses, and lovers of 
fun. They supposed that being among 
the "Pennsylvania Dutch," the German 
language, was mostly spoken here. The 
following laughable incident will illustrate 
this fact. Judge Kimmell relates that re- 
membering one day that Mrs. McClure was 
alone, and probably would be glad to see 
some one from town — the Colonel being 
prudently absent — concluded he would go 
out to see her. At the place ou the Har- 
risburg pike where the gate house then 
stood, he encountered a sentinel who, after 
learning his mission, permitted him to 
pass. While with Mrs. McClure, Hood's 
<li vision was passing, and the Judge and 
Mrs. McClure went down to the front of 
the yard to see them. As the Judge's round, 
plump, Teutonic form and face beamed 
out from the foliage of the Colonel's mag- 
nificent grounds, a soldier looking toward 
him said to his companion, "I'll bet that 
old fellow drinks lots of beer." "No, no," 
said the Judge, "I never drink beer." At 
this the soldier cried out, trying to imi- 
tate Pennsylvania Dutch, "Och, Mine 
Uott! Mine Gott!! My Countree ! My 
Countree ! !" Another time a soldier stop- 
ped the Judge on the street, and thus ac- 
costed him : "Can you tell where a fellow 
can get a little whiskey?" "I can't tell 
you," said the Judge," "I never drink 
whiskey." Looking him squarely in the 
face, and estimating the truthfulness of the 
reply by the flush of his countenance, the 
soldier significantly replied, "Oh, I guess 
not." 

The officers in command of the infantry 
like the men composing the cavalry, were 
of the higher and better class. Many of 
them with whom we had business trans- 
actions seemed to be perfect gentlemen, 
and while compelled to appropriate to the 
use of their army our property, to be paid 
for in worthless scrip, they did it in an 
apologizing way. Some of them were 
overheard to express their fears that they 
had run into a trap by coming over into 
our State, but the usual remark was, "Un- 
cle Robert has brought us here, and he will 



see us out all right." In looking upon the 
large number of persons who gathered into 
the town on Sunday to see them, some of 
the rebels inquired if they were not sol- 
diers in disguise. When answered that 
they were not, and the population and re- 
sources of the North were not yet scarcely 
touched, they seemed greatly astonished. 
A case of this kind occurred one morning 
in front of the residence of Mr. H. E. 
Hoke, on East Market street. Imboden's 
cavalry had came in the evening previous 
and some of the officers were sitting on the 
steps of Mr. Hoke's residence, their horses 
being hitched to the shade trees. Upon 
Mr. Hoke's appearance one of the officers, 
apparently one of considerable rank, thus 
addressed him, "How long is this war go- 
ing to last?" He replied, "You can an- 
swer that question better than I can." 
"What do you mean by that?" inquired 
the officer. "I mean that this war will 
last as long as you in the South are able to 
fight. If you can stand it twenty years 
more, then the war will last twenty years 
yet." The officer was evidently impressed, 
which emboldened Mr. Hoke to say furth- 
er : "You must have seen for yourselves 
since you have come North that there are 
any number of able-bodied men yet to 
draw on, and the people of the North have 
scarcely awakened to the fact that there is 
a war on their hands, but this invasion 
will stir them up, and if it were possible 
for you to annihilate the whole of our ar- 
mies now in the field, that would only 
bring out another to take you some morn- 
ing for breakfast." They all listened in 
silence, and seemed to be thunderstruck, 
when one, who was lying on the cellar 
door, said with an oath, "There is more 
truth than fun in what he says." 'This re- 
mark led to a considerable discussion 
among themselves about the large number 
of men they had seen since they had en- 
tered Pennsylvania. 

It was a subject of frequent remark by 
the rebels about the magnificent country 
and large and flourishing towns they had 
seen since coming north. The dwelling 
houses of the farmers and the large and 
excellent barns also excited their admira- 
tion and astonishment. Letters written 
while here to be sent to their friends in 
the South, but lost from their pockets, 
were picked up on the streets. In some 
of these their e'xpressiojjs of astonishment 
at the rich and beautiful country, the ex- 
cellent farming and fine large houses and 
barns, were profuse and decided. Some 
young officers connected with Ewell's 
Corps placed in my hands a number of 
letters stamped with the government 
postage stamp, asking me to put them in 
our mail when communications were 
again opened. I did not like to tell I 



56 



Reminiscences of the War 



could not do so, but received and held 
their letters until after the invasion, when 
I concluded to dispose of them. They 
were directed to .young ladies in Baltimore, 
and among other things said in them were 
expressions of surprise and admiration for 
our rich and beautiful countrv and excel- 
lent farming. 

During the time we were under rebel 
rule, we were without informatioi. of what 
was going on, only as an occasional paper 
was brought through the lines by some of 
our scouts. The first information of the 
first day's battle at Gettysburg and the 
death of Gen. Reynolds, was received from 
a copy of the Philadelphia Inquirer 
brought from Harrisburg by Mr. Benja- 
min S. Huber. The rebels had their reg- 
ular mails from Richmond, and an occa- 
sional Richmond paper would be received, 
in which it was told how successfully the 
Confederate cause was going on elsewhere. 
One edition of one of the Richmond 
papers received here announced that Gen. 
Johnston had defeated Gen. Grant and 
raised the siege of Vicksburg. It was said 
that the lying account was read to the 
army when on parade and the men cheer- 
ed themselves hoarse over their imagina- 
ry triumph. One of their mails from 
Richmond was captured in Greencastle, 
in which were found important papers 
from the Confederate authorities at Rich- 
mond. These were as soon as possible de- 
livered to the commander of the army of 
the Potomac. P'rom two statements pre- 
pared by residents of Greencastle, who 
were witnesses of the heroic acts I am 
about to describe, I condense the follow- 
ing account. After the main body of 
Lee's army had passed through the town 
to Gettysburg, the communications with 
Virginia were kept open by detachments 
of rebel cavalry, which frequently passed 
through. Ignorant of Lee's destination, 
and discouraged by the mighty host of 
defiant and boastful rebels, with their 
immense trains of artillery, which had 
passed down the valley, the surprise and 
joy of the people knew no bounds when, 
on Thursday, July 2d, a company of 
Union cavalry dashed into the town. 
These men were under command of Capt. 
Dahlgreen, the same who afterwards be- 
came a Colonel, and was killed in front of 
Richmond. Says one of my informants : 
''If a band of angel j had come down, they 
would not have been more unexpected. 
I may probably add, not so welcome. It 
required only a few minutes to apprise the 
town of their presence, and all Greencastle 
seemed to be on the street. Hats flew into 
the air. Cheer followed cheer. Even the 
old and most staid ministers, everybody 
was ready to bid them welcome, and some 
wept for joy. Their leader, the gallant 



Dahlgreen, though a mere youth, had the 
entire confidence of his men and handled 
them with ease and skill." Dahlgreen 
ordered everyone off the streets, and after 
hiding his men behind the recesses of the 
public square, went up into the steeple of 
the Reformed church, from which, with 
his glass, iie could scan the country for 
miles around. Perceiving a company of 
cavalry coming, and ascertaining their 
number, he rapidly descended, determined 
to give battle, notwithstanding their 
number was double his own. He hastily 
placed his men so that the advancing 
enemy could not see them until they 
would reach tiie Diamond, he placed him- 
self at their head, i)istol in hand, and lean- 
ing down upon ihe neck of his horse, 
with every nerve strained with eagerness 
to meet the foe, he waited until they were 
within a few hundred yards, when the 
word was given and with a wild yell and 
the bang, bang of their carbines, these 
brave defenders of the Union dashed after 
the astonished and panic-stricken foe. 
Although from the superior numbers of 
the enemy it was feared that these brave 
scouts would be annihilated, yet 17 of the 
rebels were captured, three of whom were 
officers. A mail bag intended for Gen. 
Lee was also taken, which was deemed so 
important that Dahlgreen hastily left with 
it. Galloping out the Waynesboro' road, 
he detailed a detachment to barricade the 
road on the hill east of the town, near 
John Ruthrauff's house. This they did 
by piling wagons, hay ladders and other 
things across the road. The guard, after 
erecting this barricade, remained there to 
meet any foe who might attempt pursuit, 
and at length left and went after their 
companions. This mail containing import- 
ant documents from the Confederate Gov- 
ernment to Gen. Lee, was, with the pris- 
oners captured, delivered to Gen. Meade 
across the mountain. 

Captain Dahlgreen returned again on 
Saturday morning and on that day captur- 
ed 17 infantry and 7 cavalry. In the 
engagement of that day a number of rebels 
were wounded, but the Union force esca- 
ped in every one of these engagements 
without injury or loss. 

Occasionally when rebel soldiers inquir- 
ed for such articles as kid gloves, which 
we had sent away or secreted, they would 
say, "All right, we can get them when 
we get to Philadelphia or Baltimore or 
Washington." One day Judge Kimmell 
came to me and said an oflicer told him 
he wanted a web of bleached muslin and 
some other things for the use of his own 
family and that he was willing to pay a good 
price for in gold. I told the Judge that I 
had the things wanted stored away in a 
beer vault, but if we were to furnish them it 



Reminiscences of the War 



57 



would show that our stock of goods was 
not sent away but only hid and the proba- 
bility was that the whole thing was a trick 
to find out this fact. The Judge replied 
that t his was probably so, and that he did 
not think of it or he would not have made 
the proposition to me. 

The rebels all seemed especially to hate 
Tresident Lincoln. They had been made 
to believe that he was responsible for the 
war and that he was brutal and barbarous 
and drunk nearly all the time. A report 
was circulated among them that he had 
fled from Washington to Boston, and that 
the army of the Potomac was still in Vir- 
ginia and that they would have Pennsyl- 
vania militia only to overcome and then 
Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Baltimore and 
Washington would fall into their hands. 
Seeing the statue of Dr. Franklin on the 
cupola of the Court House, one of them de- 
clared thatit wasintendedtorepresenf'Old 
Pete Lincorn," Passing by our store one 
day, one of the men looked up to our sign 
and mistaking the inscription of J. Hoke 
& Co. cried out — "Hurrah for old Joe 
Hooker ! Here he is, and he is the very 
fellow we are after." 

I will state here that in speaking of a 
division encampment at a certain place, it 
is not to be supposed that it all occupied 
one encampment. Usually it divided and 
the several brigades occupied such positions 
as were assigned them, ail, however, 
within supporting distance of each other. 
From these various encampments ma- 
rauding parties, mostly of cavalry, would 
go out in all directions after horses, cattle, 
corn, oats, and such other articles as were 
needed. In this way the whole country 
for many miles beyond theseencampments 
was visited. The only instance in which 
armed resistance was attempted hy the 
people, or would have been at all practica- 
ble, was by the citizens of Horse Valley. 
This Valley is very narrow and of consid- 
erable length, and being surrounded by 
mountains which are passable only at a 
few places, it was made the hiding place 
for a large number of horses from all parts 
of the county. Mr. Stephen Keefer, u 
resident of that valley, has kindly furnish- 
ed me with the following statement of the 
preparations made for defense against 
raiding parties. The horses belonging to 
residents of the vaj^ey, as well as all those 
taken there from other parts, were hidden 
in the upper— the southern— qxm\ of the 
valley. The road from Loudon into this 
end of the valley is very narrow, precipit- 
ous and winding, and could be easily bar- 
ricaded against cavalry. Mr. Keefer was 
Supervisor of the township, and he sum- 
moned his neighbors to his assistance and 
cut down a number of trees across this 
road, effectually closing it against all in- 



truders. On the top of the mountain cov- 
ering the approach by the Strasburg road, 
breastworks of logs and bushes were erect- 
ed, and about thirty of the hardy moun- 
taineers with their tried rifles stood guard 
there for several days. This guard having 
been withdrawn one day, about thirty 
Confederate cavalry entered the valley by 
that gap, and passed on across it into Path 
Valley and up into Amberson's Valley. 
They then turned about and retraced their 
steps by the same route, taking with them 
but six horses from this valley. Had the 
mountaineers been at their posts a battle 
would most certainly have taken place and 
some of those rebels would have fallen by 
the sure aim of these expert marksmen. 
Or had they gone on up the valley some 
eight miles, two or three hundred valuable 
horses might have been taken. The 
reader may inquire, how did these men, 
unacquainted with these mountain roads, 
And their way intoand out of these remote 
places ? They were guided no doubt by 
some sympathizer, for Mr. Keefer says 
that wliile passing through Fannettsburg, 
a man rode with them with his face cover- 
ed with a handkerchief. The traitorous 
guide, notwithstanding his disguise, was 
recognized by some, but fearing that they 
might be mistaken and do an innocent 
person injustice, his name has not been 
given. 

As portions of Lee's army passed 
through Fulton, Franklin, Cumberland, 
Adams and York counties, these plunder- 
ing parties visited almost every nook and 
corner, and a vast amount of plunder was 
taken. Many of the farmers in this and 
adjoining counties took their horses down 
below Harrisburg for safety, and in this 
way saved them from being" stolen. 

One day a horseman rode up in front of 
the bank and after hitching his horse 
stood upon the pavement. He was deci- 
dedly clerical in appearance. Some offi- 
cers passing by saluted him as "Doctor." 
He replied, "Well, we are back again in 
the Union." He was Rev. Dr. Pryer, 
father of Gen. Roger A. Pryer, at one 
time a member of Congress. "^ I felt like 
telling him that many of them were des- 
tined never again to go out of the Union, 
but would find a permanent lodgment 
somewhere in northern soil. I had some 
respect for the poor ignorant privates who 
had been conscripted into the army, and 
also for the officers who were only acting 
out the legitimate results of their States 
Rights teachings, but for such clerical 
rascals who professed to be the servants of 
the Most High, and acting under His 
guidance, I had and have no respect what- 
ever. The different regiments had each 
their chaplain, and I have been told that 
when in camp they bad their regular 



5« 



Remhiisceiiccs of the War. 



religious services, and prayer meetings 
were often held by the men. 

The ladies of the town did not conceal 
their sentiments from the rebels. Many 
of them wore small Union flags pinned to 
their breasts. They did not imitate the 
chivalry of the ladies of the South, by 
spitting in the faces of the soldiers, and 
otherwise insulting them. In some eases 
they gave their dresses to such as desired 
to desert, and arrayed in women's clothes 
furnished by some of our ladies, several 
were enabled to escape. I stood one even- 
ing in front of a house where a number of 
ladies were congregated and singing patri- 
otic songs. Some five or six rebels were 
upon the pavement, near the window 
listening co the music. At the conclusion 
of the Star Spangled Banner, one of the 
soldiers said, "It is the prettiest flag the 
world ever saw." 

As descriptive of one of the ways by 
which some of our citizens assisted disaf- 
fected soldiers to escape, I relate the fol- 
lowing : On the evening of July 1st a rebel 
soldier called at the residence of Mr. H. E. 
Hoke and declared to Mr. Hoke his desire 
to escape from the army and remain in 
the North. After satisfying himself that 
the man was sincere and not endeavoring 
to get him into a difficulty, Mr. Hoke 
arranged to meet him with a suit of citi- 
zen's clothes in the first wood out along 
the Cumberland Valley railroad. On the 
morning of the following day, according 
to agreement, he met the soldier there and 
gave him the clothing in which he escap- 
ed, leaving Mr. Hoke his musket and 
accoutrements. Before leaving the sol- 
dier told Mr. Hoke that many of the army 
were disheartened because that while the 
South had put its entire force in the field, 
they beheld any number of able bodied 
men here yet, and but few of their army 
had any hope of success. Upon bidding 
Mr, Hoke farewell, the soldier put his hand 
upon the top of the fence and sprang over, 
saying, "Farewell to Jeff. Davis and the 
Southern Confederacy." 

Some of our citizens in looking at the 
vast army passing through the town 
became faiut-hearted, and one said to me, 
"Id five days this government will be 
overthrown." I give it as my opinion 
that all the unorganized, undisciplined 
and inexperienced militia of the State 
could not have vanquished that mighty 
host. It required an army equal in num- 
bers, arms, organization, discipline and 
experience to accomplish this. Thanks 
be to God — ten thousand thanks— that the 
grand army of the Potomac was equal to 
the occasion, and it was found at the right 
place at the right time, and under the 
right commanders, and that it did its 
work well and effectually. And thanks, 



too, that God planted Round Top and 
Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill just where 
He did. My father said that when he 
was a boy and lived in Gettysburg, he 
often hunted rabbits on these hills, and 
sometimes wondered why they were put 
there, but after the battle of Gettysburg he 
understood why CJod put them there. 
Rev. Dr. Stockton, in his eloquent prayer 
at the dedication of the Soldiers' National 
Cemetery in Nov. 1863, at that place, 
caught the proper idea when he called 
those hills the "Altar of Sacrifice," the 
"Pleld of Deliverance," the"Mountof Sal- 
vation," and the "Munitions of Rocks." 

On the morning of this day. General 
Ewell removed his headquarters from Mr. 
Trostle's hotel in town to the Mennonite 
church one mile north on the pike leading 
to Harrisburg. At that place there was 
held on that day a Court Martial to try a 
number of persons for breaches of disci- 
pline. At the time it was reported that a 
soldier was condemned to death and shot, 
but such was not the fact, as the following 
official order will show : 

Headquakeks 2nd Corps, } 
Army Northern Virginia, June 2otb, '63. S 

General Order, No. 51.— 1. Before the milita- 
ry court, convened at the headquarters of tht> 
Army Corps of Lieut. Gen. K. S. Ewell, and of 
which court Col. 11. H. Lee is presiding Judge, 
were arraigned and tried. (The specifications 
in the various cases being lengthy and minute, 
a re omitted. ) 

1st. Lieutenant J. B. Countiss, Georgia Reg- 
iment. 

Charge I. Drunkenness on duty. 

Charge II. Conduct to the prejudice of good 
order and discipline. 

Finding : Of the specifications of 1st charge, 
Guilty. 

Of the 1st charge, Guilty. 

Of the specifications of the 2nd charge, Guil- 

Of the 2nd charge, Guilty. 

Sentence : And the Court do therefore sen- 
tence the said Lieutenant J. B. Countiss, 2l8t 
Georgia Regiment, to be cashiered. 

2nd. Private Charles Smith, Co. C, 4otb N. 
C. Regiment. 

Charge : Desertion. 

Finding : Of the specification, Guilty. 

Of the charge, not Guilty, but 

Of absence without leave, Guilty. 

Sentence : And the Court do therefore sen- 
tence the said Private Charles Smith, Co. C, 
45th N. C. Regiment, to forfeit three months 
pay, and to be branded on the left hip with the 
letter S, two inches in length, in the presence 
of his Regiment. 

;kl. Private Louis M. Waynock, Co. B, 45th 
Regiment. 

Charge : Desertion. 

Finding : Of the specification, Guilty. 

Of the charge— not Guilty, but 

Of absence without leave, Guilty. 

Sentence : And the Court do therefore sen- 
tence the said Louis M. Waynock, Co. B, 45th 
N. C. Regiment, to forfeit three month's pay, 



Reminiscences of the War 



59 



aud to be branded ou the left hip Avith the letter 
S, two inches in length, in the presence of his 
Regiment. 

4th. Private Patrick Heme, Co. C, 5th Ala- 
bama Regiment. 

Charge : Violation of 9th Article of War. 

Finding : Of the specification, Guilty. 

Of the charge, Guilty. 

Sentence : And the Court do therefore sen- 
tence the said Patrick Heme, Co. C, 5th Ala- 
bama liegiment, to forfeit his pay for three 
months, to perform extra iiolice and fatigue 
duty for two months, and to be bucked two 
hours each day, for seven days. 

II. The proceedings, findings and sentence in 
the case of Lieutenant J. li. Couutiss, 21st 
Georgia Regiment, are approved, and the sen- 
tence will be carried into effect ; and Lieuten- 
ant J. B. Countiss ceases, from this date, to be 
an ofScer of the Confederate States Army. He 
will be enrolled and conscripted by his Brigade 
commander, and will be allowed to join any 
company in his present Brigade that lie in.iy 
select. 

The proceedings, findings and sentence? in the 
cises of Private Charles Smith, Co. C, 45th N. 
C. Regiment, and Louis M. Waynock, Co. B, 
45th N. C. Regiment, are approved, and the 
sentences will be carried into effect, except so 
much of them as inflict the punishment of 
branding, which is hereby remitted. 

The proceedings, findings and sentence in the 
case of Private Patrick Heme, Co. C, 5th Ala- 
bama Regiment, are approved, and the sentence 
svill be carried into eftt^ct. 

By command of Lieutenant General R. S. 

EWELI.. 

A. S. Pendleton, A. A. General. 
The superior discipline of the Southern 
army will be seen in this, that officers in 
command were promptly cashiered for 
drunkenness, and not permitted to remain 
in positions which would endanger others. 
And when cashiered they were not per- 
mitted to resign their commissions, or 
leave the army and return to civil life, but 
were reduced to the ranks and compelled 
to do service in that humble position. If 
that kind of discipline had prevailed in the 
Union army, there would have been fewer 
disasters from the use of intoxicating liq- 
uors. The penalty inflicted upon others 
for the violations of the rules of war, as 
stated in the charges and specifications 
given, requiring the forfeiture of three 
months pay, did not amount to much, for 
the pay of a private soldier in Confederate 
scrip was worth only the value of the pa- 
per it was printed on. For the benefit of 
those who do not know what "Bucking" 
is, I will state that it consisted in tying a 
person's hands together and closing his 
arms around his knees and passing a stick 
through to keep him in that helpless and 
ludicrous condition. 

kSome time during the day, two young 
men— officers connected with the artillery 
— came with a requi.sition for all the flan- 
nels and other woolen goods we had, suit- 



able for making cartridges for cannon. 
Having removed everything of value out 
of the store, they found only a few rem- 
nants which we did not think worth se- 
creting. These they had me to measure 
for them, one of them noting down the 
lengths. When asked the price I told him 
I should have a dollar a yard, counting 
upon Confederate scrip as the pay. He in- 
quired what we sold them at, saying they 
would not allow me more for them than 
our usual price, for their money was as 
good as ours, and if it was not they intend- 
ed to make it so before leaving the State. 
After striking an average price he wrote 
and gave me a paper of which the follow- 
ing is a correct copy— the original I yet 
have in possession : 

I hereby certify that I have received of J. 
Hoke & Co., merchants, Chambersburg, Pa., 
this 25th day of June, 1863, and in accordance 
with General Order, No. 72, Headquarters, and 
have furnished duplicate vouchers, 9 (nine 
yards) flannel at G.Si^ cents per yard, $5.90. 
John M. Gregoky, Jk., 

1st Lieut, and (>rd. officer Art'y 2nd C'orps. 

I was directed to present this voucher to 
the Pay Master and get my money, but 
counting their scrip of no value, and not 
believing their threat to make it as good as 
U. S. Greenbacks likely to be fulfilled, I 
never presented it. It is now held as a 
relic of those troublous days. 

Not long after the departure of these ordi- 
nance officers, two more from the Medical 
department came, demanding all the tea 
we had for their hospitals. Like the flan- 
nel, they got only what we did not think 
of sufficient value to hide away. During 
the day other officers also came for such 
articles as Castile soap, etc., for their own 
use. We had unlocked our fire proof safe 
and left the door stand open, thinking that 
if locked they would suppose it contained 
valuables and break it open. This we did 
at Jenkin's raid and during the invasion. 
In not a single instance did an officer ap- 
proach it, or attempt to look in it, but 
nearly every private soldier that got into 
the store made straight for the safeand ex- 
amined it. 

Jenkin's cavalry in advance of Rhode's 
Division this day reached Carlisle. On 
this and the succeeding day the Union 
Army crossed the Potomac into Maryland 
at Edward's Ferry, and took a position be- 
tween Harper's Ferry and Frederick city, 
to be ready either to protect Washington, 
or march to meet Lee wherever he might 
ofter battle. 

Friday, 2()th. 

This day was fraught with great events, 
and stands as an era in the history of 
C'hambersburg. In the morning Heth's 
division of Hill's corps entered the town, 



6o 



Reminiscences of the War 



and turning east in the Diamond proceed- 
ed out on the road leading to Gettysburg, 
and encamped in the evening near Fay- 
etteville. About 9V o'clock I was in the 
Diamond looking at Gen. Hill, tlie com- 
mander of this corps. He had his horse 
hitched in front of the residence and ho- 
tel of Mr. John Noel, where the large 
building now stands, in which the Valley 
Sjiirit is printed. Hill was standing out 
near the middle of the Diamond as if 
watching for someone to come from South 
Main street. Mr. Henry Bishop, the Pho- 
tographer, informs me that on the occa- 
sion referred to he had a conversation with 
Gen. Hill. The General inquired of him 
concerning a number of persons who had 
resided in Carlisle, with whom he was ac- 
(juainted while at the barracks there. Mr. 
Bishop gave him whatever information 
he could concerning the person inquired 
about, and then asked him when Gen. Lee 
was expected V Hill replied that he was 
expecting Lee every moment, and casting 
his eyes up Main street, said, "There he is 
now." Mr. Bishop hurried to his photo- 
graph gallery, which was in the building 
about where he now resides, and having 
everything in readiness to take a picture of 
the General and hisstafi", pushed the shut- 
ters of his window open and run the end 
of his camera out, at which some team- 
sters and soldiers, sitting along the curb- 
stones, rose to their feet to see what was 
going on. At the same instant Lee and 
his staff left the Diamond and the picture 
was not taken. It is to be regretted that 
Mr. Bishop did not succeed in taking a pic- 
ture of the historic scene. It would afford 
an occasion worthy the genius of the best 
artist. 

Gen. Hill seemed to me to be a man of 
splendid physical make. He was entirely 
unlike Ewell, who was angular and thin 
in feature, and of sallow complexion, but 
eminently intellectual. He was killed in 
the final struggle about Petersburg, Vir- 
ginia, in April, 1805. After satisfying my 
curiosity concerning General Hill, I went 
up into the front room of the second story 
of my dwelling, right over the store, on 
the north-east corner of the Diamond. This 
room was the usual resort of the ministers 
of tbe town, for from its windows an unin- 
terrupted view could behadof Main street, 
the street the Confederatps came through, 
from the Reformed church to the lower 
end of the town, some sixsquares. There 
were in that room, as near as I can recol- 
lect, the Rev. Dr. B. S. Schneck, Rev. B. 
Bausman, Rev. J. Dickson, the writer 
and a few others whom I cannot now re- 
collect. Observing a group of about twen- 
ty or thirty finely mounted officers coming 
over the brow of the hill opposite the Re- 
formed church, I called the attention of 



the persons present to them. Mr. Baus- 
man exclaimed, "That's Lee and his staff." 
Snatching his hat he made rapid strides 
down stairs and out into the Diamond, fol- 
lowed by all in the room. Taking a posi- 
tion in the Diamond in front of the Man- 
sion House, then the printing establish- 
ment of the Reformed church, and where 
the building now stands in which Hat- 
nick's segar store and Messrs. Hollar & 
Appenzellar's dry doods store are located, 
J watched the entrance of these men into 
the Diamond and the memorable events 
which then and there transpired. Lee and 
his staff stopped immediately in Iront of 
where I stood. General Hill mounted his 
horse and rode slowly towards Lee, hold- 
ing his hat gracefully above his head. Lee 
and Hill then rode a short distance apart, 
and held a short whispered consultation. 
In an article written for the Philadelphia 
Times, aoxaQ few months ago, upon this 
same subject, I stated that Lee and Hill 
dismounted and held this consultation 
while standing. Mr. J. N. Snider and J. 
W. Douglass, who, with many others, 
were present and witnessed this event, tell 
me that in this I am mistaken, and that 
they did not dismount, but held their con- 
sultation on horseback. Mr. Snider also 
tells me that in locating the place in the 
Diamond where that consultation was held, 
as about where the bronze soldier stands 
within the enclosure of the Soldier's Me- 
morial Fountain, I am also mistaken, that 
it was some fifteen or twenty feet from the 
soldier in the direction of the bank. A 
large part of Heth's division of Hill's 
corps had already passed through town and 
not following the two divisions of Ewell's 
corps down the valley towards Harrisburg, 
butturningeastonthepike leading by way 
of Gettysburg to Baltimore, I concluded 
that if Lee followed in the same direction, 
Baltimore and Washington were his desti- 
nation. In this opinion others shared, as 
will be shown in a chapter on "Scouts," 
yet to follow. With this impression upon 
my mind, I watched with intense interest 
the result of the council then taking place, 
and observing Mr. Benjamin S. Huber, now 
a resident of Letterkenny township, Frank- 
lin county, standing by my side, and re- 
meml^ering that he had been sent a few 
days previously with a message to the au- 
thorities at Harrisburg, I thus addressed 
him : "There, Ben, is perhaps the most 
important council in the history of this 
war, and the fate of the government may 
depend upon it. If Lee goes on down the 
valley, then Harrisburg and Philadelphia 
are threatened; if he turn east, Baltimore 
and Washington are in danger, and the 
government ought to know which way he 
goes as soon as possible." Said Huber: 
"Well, I have just got back from Harris- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



6i 



burg aud lam tired, but as soon as Lee starts 
so that I see which way he goes, I will be 
off again for Harrisburg." In a short 
time the council between the two Gen- 
erals ended, and Hill pointing eastwardly 
to the road leading to Gettysburg, fell back , 
allowing Lee to go in advance. Reaching 
nearly the middle of the Diamond he 
turned his bore's head eastward and was 
followed by his staff. Looking around for 
Huber I saw him making his way through 
the crowd for the mountains to convey 
this important information to Harrisburg. 
I will detail the account of his trip to the 
Capital in my chapter on Scouts. 

There were with the Confederates at this 
time two officers of the British arm3% and 
one of the Prussian. These officers were 
no doubt with that brilliant cortege and 
expected and desired to see the downfall 
of the Republic. That such were the feel- 
ings of at least one of them — Col. Free- 
mantle — one of the British officers, is 
clearly demonstrated in an article contrib- 
uted by him to Blackwood'' s Magazine, in 
which he narrates the events of the Penn- 
sylvania campaign. Hisabuse of the peo- 
ple of the border, and of the ladies of 
Chambersburg, whom he calls "Viragos," 
his congratulating Gen. Longstreet upon 
the apparent success of Pickett's great 
charge on the third day of the battle, and 
his regret at their repulse and annihila- 
tion, clearly show his hatred of our coun- 
try and her institutions, and his sympathy 
with the rebels. We heard of those 
officers when passing through here, but 
did not distinguish them from others. 

Gen. Lee, as he sat upon his horse in 
the public square of our town, looked 
every inch a soldier. He was at that 
time about fifty-two years of age, stout 
built, of medium height, hair strongly 
mixed with gray, and a rough gray beard. 
He wore the Confederate gray, with some 
ornamentation about the collar of his coat 
which designated his rank. .His hat was 
a soft black without ornament other than 
the cord around the crown. Any one who 
had ever seen his picture would have no 
difficulty in singling him out in a crowd. 
He seemed to have not only the most pro- 
found respect of his men— officers and 
privates— but their admiration and love. 
The men composing his staff were a 
splendid looking body. Finely mounted, 
neatly dressed, and excellent in horse- 
manship, they presented an appearance 
which those who witnessed it will be like- 
ly ever to remember. In that group were 
comprised the brains of the vast, moving 
host which came swarming into our bor- 
ders, and while we felt to admire the 
genius of these men, we yet looked upon 
them as the enemies of our country, and 
could ouly hope and pray that they would 



meet the terrible overthrow which they 
deserved. In precisely one week from the 
day of this imposing pageant, our hope 
and prayer was realized, and the defeated 
and decimated hosts of treason and rebel- 
lion, were thrown back from the heights 
around Gettysburg, and with their crush- 
ing defeat commenced the downfall of the 
accursed cause for which they fought. 

General Lee selected for his headquar- 
ters a grove which then stood along the 
pike leading to Gettysburg, near the east- 
ern edge of the town. It was once known 
as "Shetter's Woods," but afterwards as 
"Messersmith's Woods," after the late 
George R. Messersmith, Esq., who at the 
time referred to owned it. It was for 
man.y years the place were picnics and 
Fourth of July celebrations were held. 
The Centennial Anniversary of American 
Independence, on July 4th, 1876, was held 
there. The grove has recently been cut 
down, and the place is now a cultivated 
field. It was a beautiful location, and 
from Friday, June 26th, to Tuesday morn- 
ing, 30th, General Lee and his staff tarried 
there. There he held his councils of war, 
there he received reports from the various 
parts ot his vast army, and there he 
planned and ordered an attack on the 
Capital of our State, and there on the 
nightof Monday, 29th, when Longstreet's 
scout brought information of the wherea- 
bouts of the Army of the Potomac, he 
recalled that order and decided to cross 
the South Mountain and fight a battle 
upon the direct line to Baltimore and 
Washington. Other acts of importance 
which transpired upon this historic spot 
during those memorable four days of Gen- 
eral Lee's residence there, will be given in 
their appropriate places. 

As previously stated, on this day Heth's 
division of Hill's corps passed through 
town and on out east to Fayetteville, 
where it encamped. This division was 
followed on the day following, Saturday, 
27th, by Pender'sand Anderson's divisions 
— Pender in advance. On Sunday, 28th, 
according to Professor Jacobs in his Bat- 
tle of Qettysburg^ page 19, the camp fires 
of the advance of Heth's division were 
seen on the eastern slope of the mountain, 
about a mile above Cashtown. On the 
following day, Monday, 29th, according 
to the same reliable authority, by the aid 
of a field glass, it was seen that the rebel 
encampments about Cashtown had been 
considerably enlarged, the whole ot Heth's 
division having crossed the mountain and 
encamped there (page 21). On the next 
day, Tuesday 30th, the remaining two 
divisions of Hill's corps left theirencamp- 
ments about Fayetteville and Greenwood 
and marched for Cashtown — Pender in 
advance. On this same day, 30th, about 



62 



Reminiscences of tJic War. 



9i A. M., a portion of Heth's division 
under Gen. Petigrew, advanced from Cash- 
town, as far as the crest of Seminary Hill, 
one-half mile north-west of Gettysburg, 
throwing about two dozen infantry 
pickets as far down as Mr. Shead's 
house. Several officers on horseback were 
seen reconnoitering with their field glass- 
es, and engaged in conversation with the 
people residing near the road on the hill, 
eliciting, no doubt, as much information 
as they could obtain. They had with 
them fifteen wagons, probably with the 
intention of going into the town for such 
provisions and merchandize as they might 
be able to obtain. They were also accom- 
panied with artillery, and thus were pre- 
pared for any resistance which thev might 
encounter. This movement was doubtless 
a reconnoisance in force, probably for the 
purpose of taking possession of Gettysburg, 
or for the purpose of ascertaining the con- 
dition of things there. There were sever- 
al thousand men in that advance, for 
their line extended at least a mile and 
a-half. At 10* A. M., they again with- 
drew towards Cashtown, probably having 
heard of the approach of GeneralBuford's 
cavalry, which arrived about one hour 
afterwards. (Battle of Gettysburg, pages 
21,22.) 

On the succeeding day, Wednesday, 
July 1st, Heth's and Pender's divisions 
advanced from Cashtown and i)articipa- 
ted in the first day's engagement. An- 
derson's division halted too long at Cash- 
town to take part in this first day's 
engagement, but reached the scene of 
conflict in the evening after the close of 
the battle. 

On the evening of this day, Friday, 
26th, Early's division of Ewell's Corps, 
Gordon's brigade in advance, entered 
Gettysburg. 

Saturday, 27tii. 

On this day, as above stated, Pender's 
and Anderson's divisions of Hill's Corps 
passed through town out to Fayetteville 
and Greenwood, encamping within sup- 
porting distance of the main body of 
Heth's division, which on the following 
day threw out an advance to near Cash- 
town east of the mountain. 

On this day the following General Order 
was written and issued by General Lee : 

Headquarters, Ariniy Northern ) 

Virginia, [• 

Chanibersburg, Pa., June 27th, 18G3. ) 

General Orders, J\'o. 7,?.— The Commanding 
General has observed with marked satisfaction 
the conduct of the troops on the march, and 
confidently anticipates results commensuratt^ 
with the high spirit they have manifested. 

No troops could have displayed greater forti- 
tude, or better performed fhf-ir arduous marcli- 
es of tlie past teii days. 



Their conduct in other respects has, with 
few exceptions, been in keeping with their 
character as soldiers, and entitles them to ap- 
probation and praise. 

There have, however, been instances of for- 
getfulness on the part of some, that they have 
in keejiing the yet unsullied reputation of this 
army, and that the duties exacted of us by civ- 
ilization and Christianity are not less obligato- 
ry in the country of the enemy than in our 
own. 

The Commanding General con.siders that no 
greater disgrace could befall the army, and 
Through it, our whole people, th.an the perpetu- 
ation of the barbarous outrages upon the un- 
armed and defenseless, and the wanton de- 
struction of private property, that have marked 
the (bourse of the enemy in our own country. 

Such ijroceedings not only degrade the per- 
petrators and all connected with them, but are 
subversive of the discipline and efficiency of 
the army, and destructive of the ends of our 
present movement. 

It must be remembered that we make war 
only upon armed men, and that we cannot 
take vengeance for the wrongs our people have 
suffered without lowering ourselves in the 
eyes of all whose abhorrence has been excited 
by the ati-ocities of our enemies, and otlending 
against Him to whom vengeance belongeth, 
without whose favor and support our efforts 
must all prove in vain. 

The Commanding General, therefore, earn- 
estly exhorts the troops to abstain, with most 
scrupulous care, from unnecessary or wanton 
injury to ])rivate property, and he enjoins 
upon all officers to arrest and bring to summa- 
ry punishment all who shall in any way 
offend against oi-ders on tliis subject. 

U. E. Lee, General. 

This order, unlike the former one from 
General Lee, it will be seen, was written 
by the General himself and not by his 
Adjutant. And now as evidence that the 
humane policy of the Commander in 
Chief was not entirely respected by his 
subordinates, the conduct of Longstreet's 
plunderers fully attests. In further 
proof, however, I introduce two extracts 
from a report of the Pennsylvania cam- 
paign written by oneof the British officers 
who was with General Lee, and publisli- 
ed in Blackivood's Mac/azine., ot Sept., 
18()o. The writer says that so completely 
was the country through whicli the Con- 
federate army passed robbed and plunder- 
ed that all the cattle and farm horses 
having been been seized by General 
Ewell, farm labor had come to a complete 
standstill." In another place the same 
writer says that "Lee's retreat was encum- 
bered by Ewell's immense train of plun- 
der." Why it was that General Ewell's 
Corps gained this distinction over the 
other two for its plundering propensities, 
may probably be accounted for in the fact 
that as it always went in advance, it left 
but little for the others to take. 

In the evening of this day Longstreet' 



Reminiscences of Ihe War. 



63 



Corps approacbed the town. Hood's divi- 
sion passed on through and encamped 
north of the town along the Harrisburg 
pike. McLaws' and Pickett's divisions 
encamped about two or three mi'.es south 
of the town. These three divisions re- 
mained in their camps on tlie Sabbatli, 
excepting the detachments which entered 
and plundered our town on Sunday as will 
sliortly be related. 

During this day Ewell's infantry passed 
through Carlisle towards Harrisburg; and 
on the same day two despatch bearers, 
sent by Gen. -Ewell, then atShippensburg, 
to Gen. Early, were captured in tlie 
streets of Gettysburg by three Union 
scouts from the advance cavalry near 
Emmittsburg. The purport of their dist- 
patches was, that Gen. Early should not 
advance his division too rapidly, as that 
might be attended with some danger in an 
enemy's country. (Battle of Gettysburg, 
page 19), 

Some time in the evening of this day 
something of such importance occurred 
that it was deemed necessary to send in- 
formation of it to Harrisburg at the earliest 
possible moment. About 10 o'clock that 
night, after a consultation with Judge 
Kimmell, who informed me that Mr. 
Kinney, a teacher in the Academy, was 
willing to carry a dispatch but did not 
know the road, I went to the residence of 
Mr. Christian Fuller on Second street, 
where Mr. Anthony Hollar, then a sales- 
man in our store, resided. Mr. Hollar 
was well acquainted with the roads, but 
deemed it unsafe to start in the night. 
He, however, consented to start early next 
morning and pilot Mr. Kinney to Rox- 
bury at the base of the North Mountain. 
On Sabbath morning they started with 
this information, Mr. Kinney reaching 
Harrisburg on Monday morning and 
delivered his message. Of this I shall 
have more to say in my chapter on Scouts. 
What the movements of that day were 
which we considered so important I can- 
not now tell. It may have been the fact 
that the two remaining divisions of Hill's 
Corps had followed Lee and his staff and 
Heth's division of the same Corps east- 
wardly towards Gettysburg. 

Sunday, 28th. 

There were but few movements of troops 
through our streets this day. The last of 
Hill's forces had passed through the day 
previous and encamped about Fayettevilie 
and Greenwood. Longstreet's corps was 
encamped South and North of town. 
Plundering parties from the latter, howev- 
er, visited the town and cleaned out our 
stores of what the preceding troops had 
left. After returning from church in the 
forenoon, and while at dinner, the sound 



of an axe chopping somewhere about our 
house was heard. In a little time we dis- 
covered that a party of soldiers, under an 
officer, had chopped away the doors lead- 
ing into our cellar, and had taken posses- 
sion. The officer in command had a blank 
book, and with a pencil noted down the 
contents of the cellar, after which he 
placed a guard there to watch over the 
same. This guard of some three or four 
soldiers remained in the cellar until to- 
wards evening, ransack' ng our private cel- 
lar, back of the store cellar, and carrying 
oft cans of fruit and other things. About 
four o'clock in the evening a number of 
teams were brought into town, and dis- 
tributed around at the various places of 
business and the contents of every store 
and cellar were taken and put in these 
wagons. The dry goods stores at that time 
dealt in groceries, and all suffered greatly 
by the loss of their entire stock. I saw 
the contents of some places of business on 
that day cleaned out, from the loss of which 
the owners never recovered. We had in 
our cellar a considerable amount of molas- 
ses, syrup, sugar, &c. About thirty soldiers 
took hold of the rojies and drew the large 
hogsheads of syrup from the cellar, and af- 
ter all was up in front of the store, an officer 
with a book and pencil took down the num- 
ber of gallons in each, the number of 
pounds of sugar, &c. In doing this he 
seemed particularly desirous to get the ex- 
act amounts and called me to see each 
guage and entry. Before he gave the or- 
der to load them in his wagons, his heart 
seemed to relent, and he told me to select 
whichever hogshead I desired to retain, 
which he had his men to put back into the 
cellar. That was the largest sale of groce- 
ries we had ever made at one time, and 
that on the Sabbath, too. Our loss on that 
day was heavy, but so was it with every 
other establishment in the town. A great- 
er calamity, however, was yet in store for 
us a year later. Throughout the afternoon 
of this day a young man employed in Mr. 
William Wallace's store— Thomas Lind- 
say, now residing in Pittsburg — was com- 
pelled by the rebels to remain in Mr. Wal- 
lace's cellar filling their canteens with mo- 
lasses. While engaged in the patience 
provoking process of running this thick 
stuff into their narrow necked canteens, 
the soldiers would reciprocate his kindness 
by pouring some of it over his head. Mr. 
Lindsay says he was the stickiest and best 
preserved boy in town that day. 

This wholesale robbery was entirely 
against Gen. Lee's order. There was no 
requisition made so far as I have been able 
to ascertain. Colonel Freemantle, of the 
British Army, in his article in Black- 
iuood''s Magazine, as already referred to, 
says of this day's transactions iq our town : 



64 



Reminiscences of the War 



"Major Mosses tells lue that bis orders are 
to open the stores iu Chambersburg by 
force, and seize ail that is wanted for the 
army iu a regular and official manner, giv- 
ing in return its value in Confederate mon- 
ey or a receipt. The storekeepers have, 
doubtless, sent away their most valuable 
goods on the approach of the Confederate 
army. Much also has been already seized 
by Ewell, who passed through nearly a 
week ago. But Moses was much elated at 
having already discovered a large supply 
of excellent felt hats hidden away in a cel- 
lar, which he 'annexed' at once." These 
hats were taken from Mr. Jacob Dechert, 
whose place of business was then where J. 
N. Dyson & Co's. hat and shoe store now 
is, and the value of the lot captured was 
about two thousand dollars. 

Colonel Freemantle continues: — "Moses 
proceeded into town at 11 A. m. with an of- 
ficial requisition (from Gen, Longstreet), 
for three day's rations for the whole armv 
in this neighborhood. These rations he is 
to seize by force, if not voluntarily sup- 
plied. * * Neither the Mayor nor the 
Corporation were to be found anj' where, 
nor were the keys of the principal stores 
forthcoming until Moses began to apply 
the axe. * * l returned to the camp at 
6 p. M. Major Moses did not get back till 
very late, much depressed at the ill-suc- 
cess of his mission. He had seai'ched all 
day most indefaiigably, and had endured 
much contumely from the Union ladies, 
who called him 'a thievish, little rebel 
scoundrel,' and other opprobious epithets. 
But this did not annoy him so much as the 
manner in which everything he wanted 
had been sent away or hidden in private 
houses, which he is not allowed by Gen. 
Lee's order to search. He has only man- 
aged to secure a quantity of molasses, su- 
gar and whiskey." The molasses and some 
of the sugar he took from our cellar and 
the whiskey from Mr. John F. Croft. 

The following day Major Moses, Com- 
missary General of Longstreet's corps, 
rodearound to each place plundered, and 
paid for the things taken. When he came 
to settle with me, he drew from his pocket 
a book in which the articles were carefully 
noted down. Taking his seat at my desk 
he wrote in a hurried and business-like 
manner an itemized bill. He then asked 
me the price we sold each article at, which 
he scrutinized for awhile and then sat down 
what he thought was right. Footing the 
whole up he paid me in Confederate scrip. 
While writing so liurriedly I said to him, 
"Why, Major, you write just like a Phila- 
delphia lawyer." "That's just what I 
am," he replied. "I studied law on Wal- 
nut street, Philadelph ia, but some years ago 
I removed South, where I resided ever 
since." After receiving my pay in his 



worthless scrip, 1 said to liim, "Now, Ma- 
jor, tell me what to do with this money .'" 
Straightening himself up and listening to 
what I said, he replied, "Well, now, that 
is an important question, and deserves the 
best answer I can give. My advice to you 
is to invest this money iu Confederate 
Bonds. They are at least as good as the 
money, and if our cause succeeds, as we 
expect it will, the bonds will be paid. If 
we fail, then of course our bonds will be 
worthless, but so will yours, for your gov- 
ernment will be bankrupt by that time." 
The reader may, perhaps, -be curious to 
know whether I took the Major's advice, 
or what I did witli my "money," It will 
be recollected that when telling of the 
shrewdness of Rev. Dr. Fisher i n disposing 
of the scrip given liim for printing done 
for the rebels, I stated that the Doctor 
made the best with his dealings with the 
rebels of any transaction I knew, with one 
exception, and that was a preacher also. 
The present is about the time to in- 
troduce that incident. Shortly after the 
retreat of the Confederates from our 
State, an elderly gentleman came into 
our store and after purchasing a few things, 
took me aside and proposed to leave a de- 
posit with me of a considerable sum of 
Greenbacks, for the purpose of buying up 
all the Confederate scrip I could get. He 
did not inform me what he wanted it for, 
nor where he lived, but I found these out 
afterwards. He instructed me to pay from 
four to five cents on the dollar, and because 
of my consenting to rid our county of this 
worthless trash, with which it was flooded 
and counted of no value at all, he allowed 
me 81X. cents on the dollar for mine. Ma- 
jor Moses allowed us fifty cents per gallon 
for molasses and syrup. Six cents on the 
dollar for our scrip netted us just three 
cents 2yer gallon for what we could not long 
after that have gotten one dollar per gal- 
lon for. The reader can have some idea of 
the profit or loss of that day's transaction, 
when in addition to our whole stock of su- 
gar and other groceries, eight hundred gal- 
lons of molasses and syrup were taken. 

I have often felt anxious to know what 
the rebels did with our molasses. Perhaps 
the solution of this question is given by 
Gen. Imboden in an article contributed by 
him to the Oalaxy of November, 1871. 
Speaking of Gen. Lee's great simplicity, 
and sharing the lot of his soldiers. Gen, 
Imboden says : — "On one occasion some 
molasses was obtained and sent to the field. 
One of General Lee's staff who was cater- 
er that week— that is, he drew the rations 
for the headquarters mess— set a small 
pitcher of molasses before the General at 
dinner, who was delighted to eat it with 
his hot corn bread. Seeing his satisfaction, 
the catering Colonel remarked, 'General, I 



Reminiscences of the War. 



65 



secured live gallons for headquarters.' 
'Was there so much for every mess the size 
of ours ?" Oh, no. The supply won't last 
a week." Then 1 direct, Colonel, that you 
immediately return every drop you have, 
and send an order that no molasses shall 
be issued to officers or men except the sick 
in hospital.'" 

In a week or two my strange friend 
called again and taking what scrip I had 
procured, left another deposit. This he 
continued until he had gotten about all 
that could be had. One day I heard of an 
accident befalling the family ofa poor man 
residing on the* outskirts of the town. His 
son — a lad of about fourteen years of age — 
had the misfortune to get his leg crushed. 
I called to see the family and inquiring as 
to their necessities, was told that for the 
present they needed nothing, but the trou- 
ble that most perplexed them was how to 
raise money to pay the doctor for his serv- 
ices in amputating the limb. The man 
then told me that his boy had picked up, 
here and there, a whole bundle of rebel 
money and said if he could make anything 
out of it it might help him through. Count- 
ing it I found he had about five hundred 
dollars, and I gave him enough for it to 
pay the doctor and something over. But 
who was the strange man who was dealing 
in Confederate money ? The following was 
his history as I afterwards learned it. He 
was a Presbyterian minister and resided 
somewhere in the Valley of Virginia, and 
being such an inveterate Union man he 
thundered the terrors of the law upon the 
heads of his rebel congregation until they 
locked the church against him. When the 
rebels advanced near where he lived he 
would flee North across the Potomac, and 
when the Union forces would secure the 
territory he would return, and, surrounded 
by a guard of Union soldiers, would open 
his church and preach again. Threeof his 
rebel neighbors desiring to sell their farms 
and move further down in rebeldom, he 
bought their farms, payable in cnrrenci/, 
and would thus follow the wake of the con- 
federate army and buy up their scrip and 
pay it over for the farms. He was a sharp 
financier, and what became of him and 
how he made out with his purchases, I 
never heard. 

While this scene of plunder was taking 
place in our town, the following interest- 
ing incidents occurred at General Lee's 
headquarters. As the key to what is to 
follow is so interesting, I will allow the 
principal actor therein to relate her own 
story. The person referred to is Mrs. Ellen 
McLellan, widow of our former towns- 
man, William McLellan, Esq. 

Mr. ,7. HOKK, Dear Sir : — I take pleasure in 
couqilying with your request, and will give yon 
a brief account of uiy interview with General 



Lee, as nearly as I can recollect it now. The 
mills, provisions and stores throughout the 
town and surrounding country were all in the 
hands of the enemy, and in many families sup- 
plies were running short. On the Sunday be- 
fore the battle of Gettysburg, (.June 28th),' mat- 
ters had become so serious that it became ne- 
cessary for some one to seek an interview with 
the enemy, and obtain flour. I sent for one of 
the body guards, and a captain came in re- 
sponse. From him I learned that I could see 
General Lee by going to his headcpiarters in 
jNIessersmith's woods. This captain oftered me 
iin escort, but assured me that I could go alone 
with perfect safety, showing me a copy of Gen. 
Lee's order that any one who would insult a 
woman by word, look, or act, would be instant- 
ly shot. I then decided to decline an escort, 
and taking my young daughter, I set out for 
the camp. I found the rules were stringently 
enforced, but had no difficulty in passing 
tlirongh the ranks. Everything was in most 
perfect order ; even the horses were picketed so 
as to do no injury to the trees in the grove where 
their tents were pitched. Reaching headquar- 
ter.s I found the General .seated with his officers 
at the table. A subordinate met me and learn- 
ing my errand placed two camp stools, and in a 
short time I found myself seated by Gen. Lee 
himself. 1 stated to him our need, and tol<l him 
starvation would soon be at hand upon many 
families, unless he gave us aid. He seemed 
startled by this announcement, and said that 
such destitution seemed impossible in such a 
rich and beautiful grain growing country, 
pointing to the rich fields of grain all around 
his camp. I reminded him that this growing 
grain was useless to us now, and that many of 
our people had no means to lay in supplies 
ahead. He then assured me thathe liad turned 
over The supplies of food he found to his men to 
keep them from ravaging our homes. He said, 
"God help you if I permitted them to enter 
your houses. Your supplies dejiend upon the 
amount that is sent into my men." He then 
told me to send one or two of our prominent 
men to him. I replied that they had nearly all 
gone away, fearing that they would be seized and • 
taken oft". (1 feared to orive him tin; names of 
any of our gentlemen.) He then asked me to 
send a miller who could give him an idea of the 
quantity required. On leaving I asked for his 
autograph. H<! replied, "Do you want the au- 
tograph of a rebel?" I said,' "General Lee, 1 
am a true Union woman, and yet I ask for 
bread and your autograph." The General re- 
plied, "It is to your interest to be for the Union 
and I hoi)e you may be as lii-m in your i)rinci- 
l>les as I am in mine." He assured me that his 
autograph would be a dangerous thing to i)os- 
sess, but at length he gave it to me. Changing 
the topic, of (;onv(U"sation, he assured me the 
war was a cruel thing, and that h<'onIy desired 
that they would let him go home and eat his 
bread there in peace. All this time I was im- 
pressed with the strength and .sadness of the 
man. 

I trust these few facts may prove of use to 
you. I am glad to see that you are getting uji 
the.se bits of unwritten history. Of cour.se I 
haveju.st given you an outline of the affair and 
you ai'(! at liberty to use it as you see fit. 

Mrs. Ei.LEN M'Lellax. 



66 



Reminiscences of the War 



The sequel to this visit of Mrs. JMcLel- 
laii will appear in the following fact: 
Judge Kimmell relates the following inci- 
dent : On the same day of Mrs. McLellan's 
visit to General Lee's headquarters, or the 
day following, he cannot now say which, 
an officer of General Lee's staff came to 
his residence and rapped at the door. 
Upon opening the door the officer said, 
"Are you Judge Kimmell':"' Upon re- 
plying in the affirmative, the officer hand- 
ed him a paper, saying "General Lee 
sends you this." The Judge says that it 
had become known to some that he was 
engaged in sending information of the 
rebels to the authorities at Harrisburg, 
and knowing that his life would be forfeit- 
ed if found out, he thought as the officer 
handed him the paper from General Lee 
that "the very mischief was to pay." 
His fears, however, quickly subsided when 
he read the paper and found that it was 
an order from General Lee on the guard 
at Stoufler's mill for ten or fifteen barrels 
of flour for the poor of the town. Before 
he could use the order. General Lee had 
left and it was of no use. 

On this day a skirmish took place be- 
tween the advance of E well's Corps and 
the Union forces at Oyster's Point, three 
miles from Harrisburg. 

General Early entered and occupied 
York, and a portion of his command pass- 
ed on to seize the bridge over the Susque- 
hanna at Wrightsville. 

Two regiments of Union cavalry, num- 
bering about 2,000, under command of 
General Cawpland, entered Gettysburg 
from the direction of Emmittsburg. They 
had been sent forward on a reconnoissance, 
and after encamping over night east of 
the town went ofTin the morning towards 
Littlestown. 

This day General Hooker was relieved 
of the command of the army of the Poto- 
mac, and (General Meade put in his place. 
The whole of the Union Army was 
marching through Frederick northward. 
Generals Reynolds and Howard, with the 
first and eleventh corps, were sent forward 
in the direction of Emmittsburg. 

Monday, June 29tii. 

On this day the divisions of McLaws 
and Hood, of Longstreet's Corps, left their 
encampments, north and south of the 
town, and proceeded to Fayetteville. The 
remaining division of this Corps, com- 
manded by General Pickett, remained at 
Chambersburg until the morning of 
Thursday, July 2d, by order of General 
Lee, to protect the rear, and the wagon 
train. 

Some time during this day the balance 
pf Heth's division of Ewell's Corps left 
their encampment about Greenwood, and 



crossed the mountain, encamping near 
Cashtown with that part of the division 
which had crossed the day previously. It 
was this addition to the force already at 
that place which increased the number of 
camp fires of the previous evening, as 
seen from Gettysburg (Professor Jacob's 
Battle of CJettysburg, page 21). 

On this day the men ot Pickett's divi- 
sion — the only force then in or near the 
town — commenced to destroy the railroad. 
This they did by prying up the rails, 
piling the ties and rails froiu the adjoining 
fences into heaps with the rails across 
the top and setting fire tFiereto. When 
the rails became red hot they bent out of 
shape by their own weight and became 
unfit for use. This work of destruction 
went on until on the morning of Wednes- 
day, July 1st, they destroyed the depot 
buildings. Fearing to involve surround- 
ing buildings in destruction by setting the 
engine and work shops on fire, the walls 
were battered until they fell. Ten or a 
dozen soldiers would take a long iron rail, 
such as was used for railroad tracks, and 
use it as a battering ram. In this way 
they soon succeeded in throwing down the 
buildings. A large lot of lumber was car- 
ried from the carpenter shop and piled 
upon the turn-table and set on fire. This 
not only secured the destruction of the 
lumber, but the turn-table also. 

On this day Dr. J. L. Suesserott visited 
the headquarters of General Lee. The 
object of his visit and what he saw are 
thus stated by the Doctor: "On the day 
prior to the removal of General Lee from 
Messersmith's woods, I visited him for 
the purpose of having a blind mare, the 
property of Col. D. O. Gehr, exempted 
from capture. All of the other available 
horses having been removed to safe quar- 
ters, I wanted to use this one for the pur- 
pose of plowing my corn. After the Gen- 
eral had given the order to have the 
proper paper prepared, and whilst it was 
being done, having nothing to do, I em- 
ployed my time in watching the features 
and movements of General Lee, and never 
since have I seen so much emotion depict- 
ed on a human countenance. With his 
hand at times clutching his hair and with 
contracted brow, he would walk with 
rapid strides for a few rods and then, as if 
lie bethought himself of his actions, with 
a sudden jerk he would produce an entire 
change in his features and demeanor and 
cast an encjuiring gaze on me only to be 
followed in a moment by the same contor- 
tions of face and agitation of person. The 
order for the safety of the horse having 
been finished and delivered, I made rapid 
strides towards town, only to find that the 
Medical Purveyor of the Rebel Army had 
taken the horse, and my corn, which sad- 



Reiiiinisccnccs of the War. 



67 



ly ueeded working, had to take its chance 
along with hundreds of acres within the 
county in the same condition." 

On 'the evening of this day, some time 
after dark, the writer, in company with 
Mr. H. E. Hoke and Mr. George R. Colli- 
flower, went up into tlie steeple of the 
Reformed church. From that elevated 
position we had an uninterrupted view for 
miles all about us. The line of the rail- 
road could be traced south of the town by 
the numerous fires still burning. The 
sou nd of the drum was heard from Pick 
ett's camp about two miles southward. 
Along the South Mountain for miles up 
and down the valley innumerable strange 
lights were seen flashing to and fro. That 
these lights were used as signals for com- 
municating information, we well knew, 
but their occasion and import we wore of 
course ignorant of. Perhaps the fact 
shortly to be related will solve the prob- 
lem. Some time in the afterpart of that 
night, probably about two o'clock in the 
morning, I was awakened by my wife, 
who told me that some important move- 
ment was going on among the Confeder- 
ates and that I should get up and come to 
the window. Peering cautiously through 
the half-closed shutters we saw a 
continuous stream of wagons driven hur- 
riedly through the street. They were 
coming back from the direction of Harris- 
burg, and passing up Main street to the 
Diamond, turned east towards Gettysburg. 
The wagons were driven at a rapid pace, 
sometimes at a fast trot. They seemed to 
be heavily laden and caused a grinding 
noise upon the pike as they passed along. 

They proved to be Ewell's train, and 
contained ammunition for the great battle 
then near at iiand. The importance of 
this train may be inferred from the fact 
that it had the precedence in the right of 
way over Longstreet's men. General 
McLaws in command of one of the divi- 
sions of Longstreet's Corps, which was 
kept back in its march towards Gettys- 
burg by this train, says that it was four- 
teen miles long, (Annals of the War, page 
440"). Dr. Cullen, Medical Director of 
Longstreet's Corps, on page 439 of the 
same book, says that this train was in 
charge of Johnson's division. While 
passing hurriedly through our town, a 
rumbling noise could be heard as if the 
whole valley was filled with moving 
trains. Evidently only a part of this im- 
mense train passed through here, the bal- 
ance passing up from Shippensburg along 
the base of the South Mountain, and com- 
ing out into the Gettysburg pike near 
Greenwood, as did Johnson's division 
having it in charge. 

The hasty passage of this train through 
our town towards Gettysburg convinced 



me that Lee was concentrating his forces, 
and that no time should be lost in sending 
information thereof to the authorities at 
Harrisburg. Rising early to see after pro- 
curing a s^cout to carry a message, I was 
called upon by Judge Kimmell, and after 
interchanging a few words he left me, and 
in a short time procured the services of 
Mr. Steven W. Pomeroy, now the Rev. S. 
W. Pomeroy, pastor of the Presbyterian 
church at Mount Union, Pa. I shall, in my 
chapter on scouts, give Mr. Pomeroy's 
account of his trip with this valuable 
information. 

But now, what was the cause of this 
sudden concentration of Lee's army in the 
direction of Gettysburg ? General Long- 
street in his contribution to the Annah of 
the ]F«r, page 419, says that on the even- 
ing of this day, Monday, 29th, a scout by 
the name of Harrison, who had been sent 
by him from Culpepper into the Union 
lines to obtain information, came to his 
headquarters near Chambersburg and 
reported that the Army of the Potomac 
had crossed the Potomac, and was encamp- 
ed about Frederick City. Longstreet saw 
at once that this information was of vast 
importance and he sent him at once to 
General Lee's headquarters where he im- 
parted to Lee the information he brought. 
That this was the first information which 
Lee received of the whereabouts of the 
Army of the Potomac is clearly stated by 
General Longstreet in the following 
extract from the article referred to. The 
General says, "We had not heard from 
the enemy for several days, and General 
Lee was in doubt as to where he was; in- 
deed we did not know that he had .yet left 
Virginia." In the absence of the knowl- 
edge of the position of the Union army. 
General Lee had issued orders for an 
attack upon Harrisburg by General Ewell 
a part of whose Corps was on the 
evening of that day — Monday, 29th— 
near the entrenchments on the west bank 
of the Susquehanna, but upon receiving 
the information brought by this scout, he 
countermanded that order and immediate- 
ly directed General Ewell and all his 
other Generals to concentrate their forces 
ner Gettysburg. That such were the facts 
will appear inthe following extracts from 
General Longstreet's article already re- 
ferred to. General Longstreet says, 
"General Lee had already issued orders 
that we were to advance towards Harris- 
burg." Again he says that upon meeting 
General Lee the next morning, after the 
arrival of the scout, he asked him "if tJie 
information brought by the scout might 
not involve a change of direction of the 
head of the column to the right ?" To 
this remark he says General Lee "imme- 
diately acquiesced in the suggestion, pos- 



68 



RiDiinisccHces of the War 



sibly saying that he had already given 
orders to that effect." He then adds that 
"the movement towards the enemy was 
begun at once." And that tliis withdraw- 
al of General Ewell's train from down the 
valley and its rapid flight towards Gettys- 
burg occurred at the time stated, is placed 
beyond dispute by the authorities already 
quoted, as well as by General Longstreet 
himself, who says that "about noon 
(Tuesday, oOth) the road in front of my 
Corps was blocked by Hill's Corps (the 
two Divisions encamped about Green- 
wood) and EwelVsivagon train, ivhk-h had 
cut into the road above,'''' i. e., near Green- 
wood, in advance of two Divisions of his 
Corps then near Fayetteville. (Annals of 
the War, page 420.) 

As has been already shown, up to the 
night of Monday, 29th, Lee's objective was 
Harrisburg. But it may be said, "if Gen. 
Lee contemplated an attack upon Harris- 
burg, why did he send two corps of his 
army to the east in the direction ot Get- 
tysburg, and only one— Ewell's, down the 
valley?" This may be satisfactorily ac- 
counted for as follows : 

1. General Lee no doubt supposed that 
Ewell's corps was sufficient to overcome 
all opposition he was likely to meet at Har- 
risburg. He knew that the army of the 
Potomac would not uncover the iS"ational 
capital to save the capital of a State, and 
he further knew that there was no ade- 
•luate, organized force likely to oppose 
him in an attack upon the latter. As for 
raw, unorganized and undisciplined mili- 
tia, he had no fear whatever for any num- 
ber of them. 

2. Lee may have contemplated, after 
making a strong demonstration in the di- 
rection of Baltimore and Washington to 
mislead and deceive the Federal authori- 
ties, to withdraw part of his force from 
that direction, and march them to rein- 
force Ewell before Harrisburg. If Harris- 
burg was his real objective, the crossing of 
the South Mountain and passing up north- 
ward by its eastern side of a considerable 
part of his force, would have been his prop- 
er route. With Early's division at York 
constituting his right, and Rhode's and 
Johnson's divisions in the neighborhood 
of Carlisle, constituting his left, the troops 
passing up to the east of the mountain 
would come in the centre and complete 
the line. 

3. General Lee was too wise and cau- 
tious, in the absence of all knowledge of 
the whereabouts of the arm> of the Poto- 
mac, to leave so important a pass as the 
road leading from Gettysburg to this place 
unguarded, thereby endangering his rear 
in case of an advance of all his forces upon 
Harrisburg. He might have suspected, 
and certainly had sufficient reason for do- 



ing so, that his old antagonist would follow 
him up and strike him at the most favora- 
ble opportunity. To prepare for such a 
contingency was but common prudence, 
and to meet it adequately twice or thrice 
the number of men to take Harrisburg 
would be necessary. 

liut let us look at the situation, and see 
where the various divisions and parts of 
the Confederate and Federal armies were 
on this Monday night, before the concen- 
tration began, and we will be the better 
prepared to follow them in their course to- 
wards the decisive field. 

1. EivelVs Corps. Early's division was 
at York ; Rhode's division lay about Car- 
lisle with its advance upon Kingston, thir- 
teen miles from Harrisburg. Jenkin's cav- 
alry was between Kingston and the defen- 
ses of the capital on the high hills south of 
the Susquehanna. Johnson's division lay 
in the valley between Shippensburg and 
Carlisle. Two brigades of cavalry under 
Generals William E. Jones and Beverly 
Robertson were somewhere in the valley 
with the divisionsof Rhodes and Johnson. 

2. HilVs Corps. Heth's division was 
east of the mountain at Cashtown ; Pen- 
der's and Anderson's about Greenwood. 

3. Longstreefs Cor2:>s. The divisions 
of McLaws and Hood were about Fayette- 
ville. Pickett's division was about two 
miles south of Chambersburg. 

Imboden''s eavalrij was then about Mer- 
cersburg, the Gap in the mountain west of 
that place, and in MeConnellsburg. 

StuarVs cavalry was somewhere about 
Hanover to the east of the Union army, 
and were moving about apparently with- 
out any strategical purpose other than to 
effect a junction with the confederate in- 
fantry. 

Imagine a vast fan with its base at Lee's 
lieadquarters in Messersmith's woods, near 
Chambersburg, and its circumference ex- 
tending from MeConnellsburg its extreme 
left, through Carlisle and York to Cash- 
town, in Adams county its extreme right, 
and you will have some idea of the situa- 
tion "of the Confederate army on the night 
of Monday, 29th. With the exception of 
Pickett's division, which was to remain 
here to protect the rear, andlmboden's 
cavalry, who were to keep the way open 
for the divisions of Jones and Robertson, 
who guai'ded the rear of Johnson's divis- 
ion and Ewell's wagon train, as they fell 
back from down the valley, and then them- 
selves follow on to Gettysburg, all the scat- 
tered parts of this great invading host 
were to be called together at one point on 
the right. To reach these atsome of the 
points stated couriers must have been sent, 
while others may have been notified by 
signal. Four hours after the order was is- 
sued for concentration of these forces, a copy 



ReDiinisaiucs of I he ]Var. 



69 



ofitcouUlhave been carried to every point, 
except to Early at York, and he could have 
beeeu reached before daylight on the fol- 
lowing morning. May not the mysteri- 
ous lires we saw thatnight, from the 
churcli steeple, have been the signals em- 
iVloyed ? 

We will now turn our eyes across the 
South Mountain, and talve a view of the 
grand and glorious Army of the Potomac 
as it marches to meet these minions of op- 
pression and slavery. Let us mark well 
its movements in connection with the 
movements of the foe, and observe the 
points of contact between these two mighty 
forces. 

The army of the Potomac at that time 
consisted of seven corps. The First Corps 
was commanded by Gen. Reynolds ; the 
Second, Gen. Hancock ; the Third, Gen. 
Sickles; the Fifth, Gen. Sykes, who suc- 
ceeded Gen. Meade when he was made 
commander in chief; the Sixth, Gen. 
Sedgwick; the Eleventh, Gen. Howard, 
and the Twelfth, Gen. Slocum. The cav- 
alry were under Gen. Pleasanton, and the 
artillery under Gen. Hunt. On Sunday, 
28th, the day Gen. Meade succeeded Gen. 
Hooker to the command, these corps pass- 
ed through P'rederick, some forty miles 
south of Gettysburg. At this point they 
diverged, each corps taking a separate road, 
but all tending in one general direction 
northward. The Union Army, like the 
Confederate, spread out from the point of 
divergence like the sticks of a fan. The 
First Corps moved up the Emmittsburg 
road and formed the left of the army. The 
Eleventh Corps marched upa parallel road 
a little further east, through Griegerstown; 
the Third and Twelfth moved by parallel 
roads leading to Taneytown, thirteen miles 
south of Gettysburg ; the Second and Fifth 
moved still further east through Liberty 
and Uniontown, while the Sixth, with 
the cavalry under Gen. Greeg, went some 
what circuitously by Westminster, and 
formed the right of the line. The Confed- 
erate Army, in its concentration, was to be 
swung to the right, and the fan would close 
upon its right support; the Federal was to be 
swung to the lett, and would close upon its 
left support. The point of contact was Get- 
tysburg, and the parts which first came in 
collision were Reynolds and Howard upon 
our left, and Heth and Pender upon the 
Confederate right. The reader will do well 
to watch in the coming details the times 
and places where the various parts of these 
two great hosts came into collision. 

Col. James G. Biddle, in Annals of the 
War, pages 208, 209, says that "On the 
night of the 30th, after the army of the 
Potomac had made two days' marches. 
Gen . Meade heard that Lee was concen- 
trating his army to meet him, and being 



ignorant of the country in front of him, he 
at once instructed his engineers to select 
some ground having a general reference to 
the existing positions of the army, which 
he might occupy by rapid movements of 
concentration, and thus give battle on his 
own terms, in case the enemy should ad- 
vance across the South Mountain. The 
general line of Pipe Clay Creek was select- 
ed, and a preliminary order of instructions 
issued to the corps commanders, informing 
them of the fact, and exjilaininghow they 
might move their corps and concentrate in 
a good position along the line. * * * 
On Tuesday, 30th, Gen. Reynolds, who 
commanded the left wing of the army, was 
sent from Emmittsburg to Gettysburg, 
with orders to report concerning the char- 
acter of the ground there, at the same time 
Gen. Humphrys was ordered to examine 
the ground in the vicinity of Emittsburg. 
But while thus active in his endeavors to 
ascertain the nature of the several posi- 
tions where he could fight Lee, Gen. 
Meade, at the same time, continued to press 
forward his army, and concentrate it so 
that he could move it with ease toward any 
point." 

Tuesday, SOtii. 

Early in the morning of this day Gen. 
Lon<^street left his headquarters near this 
place and rode out to Messersmith's woods 
where, after a short consultation with 
General Lee, in which the latter informed 
him that he had countermanded his order 
for an attack upon Harrisburg, and had 
determined to cross the South Mountain 
and meet the Army of the Potomac, the 
two Generals rode together to Greenwood, 
where they encamped for the night. (An- 
nals of the War, page -419, 420.) 

The two divisions of Hill's Corps — Pen- 
der and Anderson — left their encampments 
near Fayetteville, and proceeded to Cash- 
town. From this place the divisions of 
Heth and Pender were moved to the vicin- 
ity of Marsh Creek, encamping there for 
the night. Anderson's division remained 
over night at Cashtown. McLaws and 
Hood's divisions of Longstreet's Corps, un- 
able to proceed because of E well's wagon 
train and Johnson's division, which had 
that train in charge, and which had the 
right of way, remained in their encamp- 
ments near Fayetteville until the follow- 
ing afternoon. 

At an early hour this morning General 
Rhodes was recalled from below Carlisle, 
and ordered to march by way of the pike 
from that place across the mountain, uni- 
ting with Early's division at Heidlersburg, 
nine miles north of Gettysburg, the 
same evening. Johnson's division retrac- 
ed its way, having Ewell's wagon train in 
charge. It and probably a part of the 



70 



Reminiscences of the War 



wagou train passed from Shippensbursf to 
Greenwood by the country road near the 
base of the South Mountain, and reached 
Gettysburg late in the evening of the fol- 
lowing day. 

Gen. Imboden's cavalry on the evening 
of this day were ordered to leave their en- 
campments about McConnellsburg and 
Mercersburg and proceed to Gettysburg. 

About 9} A, 3r. of this day a detachment 
from Heth's division under General Petti- 
grew advanced upon a reconnoisance as 
far as Seminary Ridge, and at 10'. with- 
drew again to Cashtown. 

At \\\ A. 31. about 6,000 Federal Cavalry 
under General Buford, arrived in Gettys- 
burg, and encamped one and a-hlf miles 
from town, on the Chambersburg pike. 

In accordance with the instructions giv- 
en by the commander in chief, Gen. Rey- 
nolds marched from Emmittsburg on the 
morning of Tuesday, SOth, and encamped 
that night four miles southwest of Gettys- 
burg, and on the following morning, 
Wednesday, July 1st, he entered Gettys- 
burg and found Geil. Buford with his cav- 
alry engaged with the rebels who had ad- 
vanced from their encampment at Marsh 
Creek, on the road leading from Chambers- 
burg. The further movements of the 
Union Army will be given in connection 
with those of the Rebels in their proper 
place. 

Wednesday , July 1st. 

On the norning of this day General Lee 
and Liongstreet left their headquarters at 
Greenwood, where they had spent the 
night, and proceeded together towards Get- 
tysburg. After riding some three or four 
miles, heavy tiring was heard in the direc- 
tion of Gettysburg, at which General Lee 
rode rapidly forward to ascertain the cause 
of it, leaving Longstreet to see after the 
two divisions of his corps yet at Fayeite- 
ville. After attending to some details 
concerning these troops, he went forward 
and rejoined Lee in the rear of the line of 
the battle of that day about five o'clock in 
the afternoon. The road was not cleared 
of Ewell's train so that Longstreet's two 
corps could pass until late in the after- 
noon, and his artillery did not get the road 
until 2 o'clock the following morning. By 
a forced march McLaws' division reached 
Marsh Creek, four miles from Gettys- 
burg, a little after dark, and Hood's divi- 
sion got within nearly the same distance 
of the town about twelve o'clock at night. 
(Gen. Longstreet in Annals of the War, 
pages 310 and 420.) 

In order to give the precise time when 
the various Corps and Divisions of the 
two armies reached the field of conflict, 
and their positions in the line, and the 
part they respectively took in the battle, 



it will be necessary to go somewhat into 
detail of the events of those three eventful 
days. This detail, while familiar to most 
readers, still seems necessary in order to 
the completeness of this narrative. In 
grouping together the following facts, I 
acknowledge my indebtedness to the va- 
rious persons who have written of this bat- 
tle, especially to Professor Jacobs "s Battle 
of Oettysburg, from which-I have largely 
drawn. 

At half-past nine o'clock this morning, 
skirmishing began between Buford's dis- 
mounted cavalry, which had encamped 
over night a mile and a half out on the 
pike leading to Chambersburg, and Heth's 
and Pender's Divisions, which had en- 
camped the previous night four miles out 
on the same road. About lOA o'clock the 
First Corps under Gen. Reynolds, began 
to come up from their encampment south 
west of the town. Gen. Reynolds dashed 
through Gettysburg and on out to Semin- 
ary Ridge, while his men moved across 
the fields from the Emmittsburg road and 
formed undercover of the same eminence. 
The right moved to the east of the turn- 
pike and railroad, and formed a line behind 
a grove, and the left formed on the crest 
of the hill near the Seminary. Both 
wings then advanced and the cavalry 
gradually fell back to the rear. For over 
four hours these eight thousand men stood 
like a wall of fire against the fierce as- 
saults of twice their number, and up to 3 
P. I>L, the left wing was able not only to 
hold its own, but to drive back the enemy 
in their fearful charges. In an effort of 
Gen. Archer to flank and capture one of 
our brigades, they captured him and his 
whole brigade reduced to about 1,500 men. 
This took place in the rear of the Semina- 
ry, near Willoughby's run, at about the 
middle of the day. The right, which was 
comparatively weak, having been opposed 
by a much stronger force, although hold- 
ing its position for a long while, was sev- 
eral times driven back through the grove 
and adjacent fields, down to the eastern 
base of Seminary Ridge. It lost heavily 
in killed and wounded. In these back- 
ward and forward movements, it lost, at 
one time, 1,900 prisoners, which were 
afterwards retaken, and in turn it took a 
regiment of Mississippians of 800 men and 
sent them to the ear. 

"It soon became apparent that our right 
was the main objectof the enemy's attack. 
As early as 10 A. M., the Divisions of 
Rhoades and Early left Heidlersburg, and 
by a rapid march by separate roads, reach- 
ed the scene of conflict about noon. Ar- 
riving within a short distance of our right, 
and forming in a secluded valley, under 
cover of a hill, Rhodes' Division entered 
the fight and endeavored to make a flank 



Reminiscences of the War. 



71 



movement upon our meu. Early's Divi- 
sion did not participate until about 2 P. 
M. Tlie Union troops being so liard press- 
ed, were about giving way on our riglit, 
when a portion of the Eleventh Corps, 
which had been unaccountably delayed, 
came to its support. At 1 P. M., two di- 
visions of this Corps, under Generals 
Schurz and Barlow, hurried through the 
town, and took a position on our extreme 
right, resting on the Mummasburg road ; 
and by their support the tide of battle was 
stayed, until Early's Division took part in 
the fight. The other division of the 
Eleventh Corps, under General Stein- 
wehr, by the prudent forethought and 
wise generalship of General Howard, was 
at once sent to occupy Cemetery Hill, on 
the south of the town, and to provide for 
the contingency which happened three 
hours afterwards." 

After Early's Division had entered the 
tight, it soon became evident that our 
right would be turned, and our men all 
killed or captured, for the First Corps and 
the two Divisions of the Eleventh, num- 
bering not more than 10,000, could not 
long stand before the 30,000 of Heth, Pen- 
der, Rhodes and Early combined. To 
provide for the contingency which Gener- 
al Howard saw was inevitable, the heavy 
artillery were removed to Cemetery Hill, 
and Steinwehr's division was arranged to 
receive and support our hardly pressed 
men when they would be compelled to 
retire from the unequal contest. At last 
the break in our line occurred, and the 
retreat became general. The FirsL Corps, 
for the most part fell back through the 
southwestern outskirts of the town, and 
took position on the left and rear of Stein- 
wehr. The Eleventh Corps mostly crowd- 
ed through Washington and Baltimore 
streets to Cemetery Hill, and took position 
in front and on the right centi'e. Being 
badly crowded in passing through the 
streets, and considerably confused, they 
were unable to repel the enemy who 
pressed hard upon them ; and as a conse- 
quence, about 2,500 were taken prisoners. 
But notwithstanding this retreat, and the 
confusion attending it, the brave men 
who had escaped to Cemetery Hill, coolly 
and quietly fell into position, where they 
found themselves supported by two lines 
of battle formed by Gen. Steinwehr, and 
by a formidable array of artillery already 
in place, from which a raking tire was 
poured upon the pressing rebels which 
brought them to a standstill. 

Almost in the very beginning of the 
engagement, General Reynolds fell a vic- 
tim to his cool bravery and zeal. As was 
his custom he rode in front of his men, 
placing them in position and urging them 
to the fight, when he was shot through 



the head by a rebel sharpshooter and died 
almost instantly. General Reynolds, it 
is said by those who knew him well, was 
the greatest soldier the Army of the Poto- 
mac ever lost in battle. General Meade 
said of him that "he was the noblest as 
well as the bravest gentleman in the 
army." 

JSIajor Joseph G. Rosengarten, in an 
article contributed by him to the Annuls 
of the War, pages 63, 64, thus describes 
the fall of General Reynolds, and the dis- 
position made of his body. "In the full 
flush of life and health, vigorously leading 
on the troops in hand, and energetically 
summoning up the rest of his command, 
watching and even leading the attack of a 
comparatively small body, a glorious pic- 
ture of the best type of a military leader, 
superbly mounted, and horse and man 
sharing in the excitement of battle, Rey- 
nolds was, of course, a shining mai'k to 
the enemy's sharpshooters. He had 
taken his troops into a heavy growth of 
timber on the slope of a hillside, and, 
under their regimental and brigade com- 
manders, the men did their work well and 
promptly. Returning to join the expect- 
ed division, he was struck by a Minnie 
ball, fired by a sharpshooter hidden in the 
branches of a tree almost overhead, and 
killed at once ; his horse bore him to the 
little clump of trees, where a cairn of 
stones and a rude mark on the bark, now 
almost overgrown, still tells the fatal 
spot." 

The body of General Reynolds was at 
once borne to the rear and placed for a 
while in a little house on the Emmitts- 
burg road. In the midst of the battle, the 
body of tlie dead chieftain was placed in 
an ambulance, and taken by his faithful 
orderly and a small escort to the nearest 
railroad station, whence it was borne 
to Baltimore, thence to Philadelphia and 
finally to Lancaster, his former home, 
where, on the Fourth of July, while the 
defeated and discomfitted host of rebellion 
and treason were seeking safety in flight, 
it was interred in the tranquil cemetery, 
where he lies in the midst of his family, 
near the scenes of his childhood, and on 
the soil of his native State. 

As the little cortege which bore the 
body of General Reynolds from the field 
passed out a short distance below Gettys- 
burg, it stopped a few minutes to give to 
General Hancock, who met it on his way 
to take command, the latest news of the 
day. Arriving at General Meade's head- 
quarters at Tanney town, the cortege again 
stopped where, in the midst of sincere ex 
pressions of deep sorrow over the over- 
whelming loss, time was taken to explain 
to Meade, and Warren, and Hunt, and 
Williams, and Tyler, all that could serve 



72 



Reminiscences of the War 



to explain the actual condition of affairs, 
the advantages of the position taken, and 
the necessity of all possible haste in send- 
ing forward troops. 

(General Keynolds has been charged 
with rashness and prematurely bringing 
on the battle, by leading his comparative- 
ly small force against such' overwhelming 
numbers, and not taking a strong position 
and holding it until the arrival of rein- 
forcements. The battle of that day was 
not so much of choice upon his part as 
necessity, for had he not held the rebels 
in check, they would have taken the posi- 
tion which the Union forces afterwards 
took and held. 

Considerable discussion has taken place 
as to who first saw the advanages of Cem- 
etery Hill as a suitable place for making a 
stand. Major Rosengarten in the Anncds 
of the War, page 65, claims that honor for 
General Reynolds, and says that while 
the battle was raging, messenger after 
messenger was despatclied to Gen. Meade, 
then at Taneytown, thirteen miles dis- 
tant, stating the importance of the posi- 
tion and urging the sending forward of 
troops. The friends of Generals Howard 
and Doubleday, also claim this honor for 
their respective chiefs. Professor Jacobs 
in his Battle of Gettysburg, page 25, says 
that "eaaly in the morning the hills sur- 
rounding Gettysburg had been carefully 
examined by the General and his signal 
officers. At 8} A.M., one of these officers 
was on the College cupalo making obser- 
vations, when his attention was specially 
directed to that hill by one of the officers 
of the College, as being of the highest 
strategic importance, and commanding 
the whole country around for many miles. 
Doubtless he had satisfied himself of the 
preeminent advantages it offered as a posi- 
tion of offence and defense, and therefore 
determined to take and hold it." Profes- 
sor Jacobs does not say what General this 
was. It could not have been Reynolds, 
for as soon as be reached Gettysburg he 
dashed through the town out to Seminary 
Ridge to engage in the battle already 
begun between the rebels and General 
Buford. And it could not have been 
Howard, for he only reached the town at 
IH A.M. He may refer to General Bu- 
ford, but the chief credit it seems should 
be given to that signal officer and the Pro- 
fessor of the College, who pointed out the 
advantages of that place. To the subordi- 
nates, the Engineers, whose business it is 
to see after such things, the credit is 
doubtless due, and Buford, Reynolds, 
Howard or Doubleday, acted only by the 
suggestions these officers made. 

After the fall of General Reynolds, the 
chief command devolved on General 



Doubleday until the arrival of General 
Howard at Hi A. M. 

Owing to the direction of the wind, the 
sound of Reynolds' guns did not reach 
General Meade's headquarters at Taney- 
town, and it was not until about 1 o'clock 
P. M., that word was brought him of the 
battle and the fall of Reynolds. General 
]Meade at once sent General Hancock to 
Gettysburg, with orders to assume com- 
mand of all the troops, and to report to him 
concerning the practicability of fighting a 
battle there. Arrivingat Gettysburg, and 
seeing the strength of the position taken, 
General Hancock at once sent a despatch 
to Meade, in which he expressed his satis- 
faction with the position. Before, howev- 
er, receiving this dispatch from Hancock, 
Genei^al Meade was satisfied from the re- 
ports of his officers returning from the 
field, that Lee was about to concentrate 
his whole army there, and without wait- 
ing for further in formation from Hancock, 
he at once issued orders to the Fifth and 
Twelfth Corps to proceed to the scene of 
action. Upon the receipt at 6} P. M., of 
Hancock's dispatch, Meade ordered all his 
Corpscommanders to move to Gettysburg, 
he himself breaking up his headquarters 
at Taneytown at 10 o'clock and reached 
the field at 1 A. M., of the 2d. 

The new position taken by our forces 
after their defeat west of Gettysburg, prov- 
ed to be one of great strength, and had the 
rebels followed the advantage gained dur- 
ing the day by driving them from it, the 
result of the next two days' fighting might 
have been sadly different from what it 
was. As to the reasons why an attack 
was not made upon that position that 
evening, the following facts from Confed- 
erate sources are to the point. Speaking 
of this failure. General Ewell, in his offi- 
cial report, says : "The enemy had fallen 
back to a commanding position that was 
known to us as Cemetery Hill, south of 
Gettysburg, and quickly showed a formi- 
dable front there. On entering the town, 
I received a message from the command- 
ing general to attack the hill, if I could do 
so to advantage. I could not bring artil- 
lery to bear on it ; all the troops with me 
were jaded by twelve hours' marching 
and fighting, and I was notified that (Gen- 
eral Johnson was close to the town with 
his division, the only one of my Corps 
that had not been engaged, Anderson's 
Division of the Third Corps, (Longstreet's) 
having been halted to let them pass. 
Cemetery Hill was not assailable from the 
town, and I determined, with Johnson's 
Division, to take possession of a wooded 
hill to my left, on a line with and com- 
manding "Cemetery Hill. Before Johnson 
got up the Federals were reported moving 
to our left flank— our extreme left—and 1 



Reminiscences of the War. 



12> 



could see what seemed to be his skirmish- 
ers in that direction. Before this report 
could be investigated by Lieutenant T. T. 
Turner, of my statr, and Lieutenant Rob- 
ert Early, sent to investigate it, and 
Johnson placed in position, the night was 
far advanced." 

Napier Bartlett, in an article in the '•''Mil- 
itary Annals of Louisiana,^'' says : — "Hays 
received orders, through Early, from Gen- 
eral Ewell to halt at Gettysburg, and ad- 
vance no further in case he should succeed 
in capturing that place. But Hays saw 
that the enemy were coming around by 
what is known as the Baltimore road, and 
were making for the heights— the Ceme- 
tery Ridge. This ridge meant life or death 
and for the possession of it the battles of 
the 2d and 3d were fought. * * * Ow- 
ing to the long detour the enemy was com- 
pelled to make, it was obvious that he 
could not get his artillery in position on 
the heights for one or two hours. The im- 
mediate occupation of the heights by the 
Confederates, who were in position to get 
them at the time referred to, was a matter 
of vital importance. Hays recognized it 
as such, and presently sent for Early. The 
latter thought as Hays, but declined to 
disobey orders. At the urgent request of 
General Hays, however, he sent for Gen- 
eral Ewell. When the latter arrived, 
many precious moments had been lost." 

General Lee explains his failure to send 
positive orders to Ewell to follow up the 
advantages of the day by capturing Ceme- 
tery Hill as follows : "The attack was not 
pressed that afternoon, the enemy's force 
being unknown, and it being considered 
advis^able to await the arrival of the rest of 
the troops. Orders were sent back to hast- 
en their march and, in the meantime, eve- 
ry effort was made to ascertain the num- 
bers and positions of the enenmy,and find 
the most favorable point to attack." 
General Longstreet,in Annals of the War^ 
page 420, relates the following incident 
of General Lee in the afternoon of that 
day, which shows, as Longstreetsays, that 
Lee was enveloped in doubt and anxiety, 
which seemed to have weighed him down 
and destroyed his equapoise. "General 
Anderson was resting with his division at 
Cashtown awaiting orders. About ten 
o'clock in the morning he received a mes- 
sage notifying him that General Lee de- 
sired to see him. He found Lee intently 
listening to the fire of the guns, and very 
much disturbed and depressed. At length 
Lee said, more to himself than General 
Anderson : 'I cannot think what has be- 
come of Stuart ; I ought to have heard 
from him long before now. He may have 
met with disaster, but I hope not. In the 
absence of reports from him, I am in igno- 
rance as to what we have in front here. It 



may be the whole Federal army, or it may 
be only a detachment. If it is the whole 
Federal force we must fight a battle here ; 
if we do not gain a victory, those defiles 
and gorges through which we passed this 
morning will shelter us from disaster." 

Is it not evident that the cause why 
Cemetery Hill was not attacked that eve- 
ning was because of doubt and confusion 
among the leaders of the rebel hosts V Up 
to this point they seem to have been guid- 
ed by masterly wisdom ; now, and after, 
until defeated, their counsels seem to have 
been confused. The God of Nations was in 
it. It was not the first time that Jehovah 
brought confusion among the counsellors 
of treason and rebellion that the nation 
they sought to overthrow might live. (2d 
Samuel Xvii, 14.) 

In order now to have a better under- 
standing of the operations of the following 
two days, and to note the time of the ar- 
rrival of each division of both the confed- 
erate and Federal forces, and the positions 
assigned them in their respective lines, 
which is my purpose rather than a detail 
of the great battles of those two memora- 
ble days, it will be necessary to have some 
idea of the location and shape of these 
lines. General Lougstreet thus describes 
the two positions : "Our army (the Con- 
federate,) was stretched In an elliptical 
curve, reaching from the front of Round 
Top around Seminary Ridge, and envel- 
oping Cemetery Heights on the left ; thus 
covering a space of four or five miles. The 
enemy (the Union army) occupied the high 
ground in front of us, being massed within 
a curve of about two miles nearly concen- 
tric with the curve described by our forces. 
His line was about one thousand four 
hundred yards from ours." Divested of 
military parlance, the positions of the two 
armies may be stated thus : The Union 
line was somewhat in the shape of a horse 
shoe, its toe pointing to Gettysburg and 
resting upon Cemetery Hill. Its right 
extended by Gulp's Hill to Wolff's Hill. 
Its left, which was considerably longer 
than the right, passed south-westwardly 
along a succession of ridges, terminating 
in Little and Big Round Top. Both 
flanks were protected by cavalry. The 
Baltimore pike v"»assed diagonally through 
the Union line from the south-east and 
coming out at the centre, or the toe. The 
Taneytown and Emmittsburg roads, the 
former passing directly through the 
Union position, and the latter somewhat 
to the west of it, united near the centre. 
The Confederate line ran nearly parallel 
with the Federal line, upon ridges and 
eminences, and about a half to three-quar- 
ters of a mile distant. In some places, 
however, much nearer. 

At the close of this day, Wednesday, 



74 



Reminiscences of the War. 



July 1st, the First and Elevehth Corps, 
or that part of them which survived the 
battle of the day, took their position upon 
Cemetery Hill. The First Corps on the 
left, and the Eleventh, on the front and 
right centre. E well's Corps occupied 
Gettysburg, and formed a line south-east 
to Rocls creek ; Rhode's Division lay on 
the right, occupying Middle street as far 
west as Seminary Hill ; Early lay on the 
south-east of the town ; and Johnson, who 
did not arrive until a late hour in the 
night, occupied the extreme left of the line. 
Hill's Corps took position on the Semi- 
nary ridge, in the following order: on the 
left, and restingon the Chambersburg road, 
was Heth ; next came Pender, and then 
Anderson. The latter did not arrive in 
time to participate in the battle of that 
day. This was the condition at the close 
of that day, and the positions of the two 
contending parties. Leaving them to rest 
over night for the battle of the ensuing 
day, we come back again to narrate events 
which transpired here and elsewhere. 

As soon as it was known at Harrisburg 
that the rebels who had been threatening 
that place had fallen back. Gen. Smith in 
command of several regiments of New 
York and Pennsylvania militia, advanced 
to Carlisle. At that place, in the evening 
of this day, Wednesday, July 1st, General 
Fitzhugh Lee, with a division of cavalry — 
a part of Stuart's force which had passed 
entirely around the Army of the Potomac, 
having crossed over from Hanover through 
York county with the purpose of joining 
Gen. Rhodes at Carlisle, came unexpect- 
edly in contact with these militia under 
Gen. Smith. Lee was evidently discon- 
certed upon finding that place in posses- 
sion of the Federals, and Rhodes gone 
somewhere else, and in order to lead Gen. 
Smith to suppose that he had purposely 
advanced to engage him, and thus enable 
him to make his escape, he at once de- 
manded the surrenderor the town. This 
demand Gen. Smith emphatically refused, 
and when a second demand for surrender 
was sent him, he notified Lee that he 
would receive no more such communica- 
tions from him. A short time was allow- 
ed the citizens to get out of the town, when 
the rebel batteries opened upon and threw 
a number of shells into it. Rut little dam- 
age was done. Several li.'Use^ were peiie- 
tratetl, but no one was injured. Lee then 
withdrew his f(>rce.-» and went Suutii to- 
wards Getty^liurif 

About 4o'clo('k id tlie atteriiO')ii of this 
day, I tiibodeii'.-" cavalry entered tliis place. 
While ill Me^•er^burg tlie previous eve- 
ning, Gen. lmlK)deM reci-ived a order from 
Gen. Lee diiecting h'm to pnx^eed ti> this 
place and relieve Pickett 's Division, wbicti 
bad been .eft here to protect their line of 



communications. Imboden withdrew that 
part of his force which was across the 
mountain in M'Connellsburgaud all came 
on to this place. 
Shortly after this cavalry force — called by 
some "Imboden's cutthroats" entered our 
town — an order was issued by the General 
fori[a large amount of provisions. Among 
the articles demanded were 5,000 pounds 
of bacon. Finding that no response was 
being made to this requisition, a Colonel 
in command of one of the regiments and 
the Major of the same, called upon Judge 
Kimmell and showed him the requisition. 
The Judge told them that our citizens had 
been cleaned out of all provisions, and it 
was utterly out of their power to furnish 
what was demanded. At this the Major— 
a little red-headed specimen of rebeldom — 
said to the Colonel, "Leave the matter to 
me. Colonel ; I'll get what we want." 
Judge Kimmell called the Colonel's atten- 
tion to Gen. Lee's order in regard to enter- 
ing and plundering private houses, when 
the Colonel said to the little Major, "Join 
your regiment, sir, join your regiment." 
At tills the little red-headed plunderer 
went off in sullenness and baconless. 

Not long after this body of cavalry en- 
tered the town, theycutdownthe flag-pole 
which had been erected in the centre of the 
Diamond at the breaking out of the war, 
on Thursday, April 18th, 1861. The ropes 
upon this pole had been cut upon the en- 
trance of Stuart's cavalry on the evening 
of October 10th, 1862, so that the rebels 
could not run up their hated flag upon it. 
No troops that entered our town created 
greater consternation among our people 
than these free-booters of Imboden. It 
had gotten out that they were going to 
search our houses for provisions, and all 
were in consternation and fear, when sud- 
denly, and to our great relief, they at once 
withdrew and went off towards Gettys- 
burg. The cause of their leaving is ex- 
plained by Gen. Imboden himself in an 
article contributed by him to the Galaxy 
of April, 1871, a monthly magazine pub- 
lished in New York. Gen. Imboden says, 
"That night, (Wednesday, July 1st,) I re- 
ceived a brief note from General Lee, ex- 
pressing the apprehension that we were in 
danger of being cut off" from communica- 
tion with him by the Union cavalry, and 
diiectiutr us to uiove next morning as far 
as South Mountain on the road to Gettys- 
burg, and keep it open for Generals Wil- 
liam E.Jonesand Beverly Robertson, whose 
briyrades of cavalry were in tlie direction 
of Sbii)pensburs;."' Evidently tiie point 
where danger Was apprehended in their 
communications was alu>ut Fayetteville 
and Greenwood from forces which might 
he -ent tr.iiu Hirrishurg. What probably 
gave rise to this fear was tbe fact that a 



Reminiscences of the War. 



75 



small body of Union cavalry did make a 
dash upon the rebel line at Fayetteville 
and captured a number of prisoners. In ac- 
cordance with Lee's order I m bode n moved 
out there that same evening. 
This brings our narrative to 

Thursday, July 2nd. 

Early this morning Pickett's Division left 
its encampment 8outh of this place, and by 
a forced march, reached Gettysburg the 
same evening. Sometime during the same 
day Robertson's cavalry passed through 
coming up;from the direction of Ship- 
pensburg, and going on towards Gettys- 
burg. These were immediately followed 
by Jones' brigade. Gen. Imboden in the 
(^r'a^axy says that "about midnight of this 
day — the 2d — we gained the top of the 
mountain east of Hon. Thaddeus Steven's 
iron works, then in ruins. Before day- 
break on the 3d, (Friday), Robertson and 
Jones passed us, and about sunrise we fol- 
lowed them and arrived before Gettysburg 
about noon." 

An occasional straggler passed through 
town on Thursday, after Jone's cavalry 
disappeared in the direction of Gettysburg, 
and by the evening of that day the last of 
the rebels had gone through. We had been 
under rebel rule from Tuesday, June 23d 
to July 3d, a period of ten days, and were 
not at all grieved to be rid of them. 

Wednesday night and Thursday morn- 
ing were devoted by both armies to the 
work of preparation for the renewal of the 
conflict. Shortly before midnight the gal- 
lant survivors of the First and Eleventh 
Corps were cheered by the arrival of the 
Twelfth Corps, under Gen. Slocum, and a 
part of the Third under Gen. Sickles. 
Gen. Slocum placed his corps on the rigjit 
flank ; the second division under Gen. 
Geary occupying Gulp's hill ; the first un- 
der Gen. Williams taking position near 
Spangler's spring, and the third was 
thrown across Rock creek to Wolf hill. 
As soon as Gen. Meade arrived — at one 
o'clock — he set vigorously to work inspect- 
ing the field and posting the men. Few 
were the moments given to sleep by either 
officers or men, although they were great- 
ly exhausted by the fighting and marching 
of the previous day. The full moon, veil- 
ed by thin clouds, shone down upon the 
strange scene. The silence was occasion- 
ally broken by the heavy tramp of armed 
men, the neighing of horses, and the rat- 
tle of artillery as it hurried to the posi- 
tions assigned it in the line. Breast-works 
were constructed, rifle pits were dug, and 
all possible preparation was made. 

At 6 o'clock in the morning Hancock's 
Second Corps and the Reserve Artillery 
reached the field ; and at 7 o'clock the Sec- 
ond and part of the Fifth Corps— two bri- 



gades of the Pennsylvania Reserves under 
Gen. Crawford, and the balance of the 
Third Corps, arrived. Gen. Sedgwick 
with the Sixth Corps, and Lockwood's bri- 
gade from Maryland, temporarily attached 
to the Twelfth corj^s, arrived at 2 o'clck p. 
Bi. General Sedgwick says in relation to his 
march : "I arrived in Gettysburg at about 
2 o'clock in the afternoon of July 2d, hav- 
ing marched thirty-five miles from 7 
o'clock the previous evening. I received 
on the way frequent messages from Gen. 
Meade to push forward my corps as rapid- 
ly as possible. I received no less than 
three messages by his aids urging me on." 
The Union forces were now all upon the 
field, except the balance of The Fifth 
corps under Gen. Sykes, which arrived at 
a critical moment, about five o'clock in the 
afternoon. The troops were disposed of as 
follows : Gen. Sickles at first took position 
on our left Centre, but when Hancock came 
he took the place of Sickles, whilst the lat- 
ter moved his corps to our extreme left, 
resting on the rocky ridge immediately 
north of Round Top, generally called Lit- 
tle Round Top, The Sixth corps was 
placed on our left, between Hancock and 
Sickles, and the Fifth under Sykes placed 
upon Round Top joining Sickles on the 
right. The rebels were also busily engaged 
during the night in forming their line, 
erecting breast-works, and otherwise pre- 
paring for a renewal oi the battle. As al- 
ready stated, Johnson's Division, which 
had been delayed in consequence of hav- 
ing Ewell's wagon train in charge, had 
reached the field late in the evening and 
been assigned its position ; and Ander- 
son's division, of Hill's corps, which was 
delayed at Cashtown, and did not partici- 
pate in the first day's engagement, had 
also arrived. The divisions of McLaws 
and Hood, of Longstreet's corps, which 
had encamped over night at Marsh creek, 
four miles from the town, by some unac- 
countabia delay, for which Gen. Longstreet 
has been severely censured by Southern 
writers, did not reach their positions in the 
line until about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. 
Upon arriving upon the field, McLaws 
joined Anderson on the left, and Hood uni- 
ted with McLaws still further to the left. 
Detachments of cavalry guarded each 
flank of the Confederate line, as were the 
flanks of the P'ederal line guarded by their 
cavalry. 

During the engagement of the first day, 
which lasted from 9i A. M., to 4 P.M., 
our killed, wounded and prisoners greatly 
exceeded in number that of the enemy. 
They called it a glorious victory, but 
when the disparity in the numbers of the 
two opposing armies, and the tired and 
exhausted condition of our men are con- 
sidered, the rebels had but little to boast of. 



76 



Reminiscences of the War. 



The effect of the victory gained this day, 
however, had an exhilarating effect upon 
not only the rank and file of the army, 
but upon Lee himself ; and it has been 
intimated by Southern writers that the 
General was under a state of subdued ex- 
citement, so that he could not see the dif- 
ficulties which confronted them but which 
were apparent to o\j\\QV%{AnnalsoJ the War, 
page 421). The effect upon the men was 
very decided and evident. They enter- 
tained the idea that they could easily an- 
nihilate the comparatively small band of 
Federals then in their front, and that the 
remaining Corps and Divisions, coming 
upon the field separately and worn down 
by long and weary marches, would be 
met and cut up in detail. Hence during 
the evening and night after this battle 
they were boastful. They delighted to 
tell of the superior skill of their ofBcers, 
and to speak disparagingly of the officers 
of the Federal army. But when Thurs- 
day morning dawned, and they saw that 
the little band upon Cemetery Hill and 
Gulp's Hill had been largely reinforced, 
and that breastworks had been erected, 
and were bristling with cannon, and that 
still other Corps and Divisions were ar- 
riving and taking positions upon the field, 
they began to give evidence that their 
minds were undergoing a change, and that 
after all they might have some hard and 
bloody work to do. 

Daylight at last dawned, and the hours 
wore away, and noon came, and the after- 
noon came on, and yet noattack was made. 
WasnottheoverrulinghandofGodin this? 
This delay, like the failure to drive the 
Federals from their strong position the 
evening before, was the salvation of 
the Nation. This will fully appear here- 
after. Professor Jacobs in his Battle of 
Gettysburg — himself a witness of the 
scene, says : "The morning was pleasant, 
the air was calm, the sun shone mildly 
through a smoky atmosphere, and the 
whole outer world was quiet and peaceful. 
There was nothing to foretoken the san- 
guinary struggle that was to close the day. 
During the earlier part of the day the ene- 
my kept perfectly quiet, and not a sound 
was to be heard, except the firing between 
the pickets, and an occasional artillery 
shot from our guns, for the purpose of 
feeling the whereabouts and strength of 
the enemy." 

In this silence and apparent idleness the 
morning hours passed away, and not 
until late in the afternoon, and until the 
whole of the Union Army had arrived, 
except part of the Fifth Corps, and had 
been placed in position, did the attack 
begin. The reason of this silence and in- 
action will be given hereafter. Hon. 
Edward Everett in his address at Gettys- 



burg at the dedication of the National 
Cemetery, says : "I cannot but remark on 
the providential inactivity of the Rebel 
army. Had the contest been renewed by 
it at daylight on the 2d of July, with the 
First and Eleventh Corps exhausted by 
the battle and the retreat, the Third and 
Twelfth weary from their forced march, 
and the Second, Fifth and Sixth not yet 
arrived, nothing but a miracle could have 
saved the army from a great disaster. 
Instead of this the day dawned, the sun 
rose, the cool hours of the morning passed, 
the forenoon and aconsiderablepart of the 
afternoon wore awaj', without the slight- 
est aggressive movement on the part of 
the enemy. Thus time was given for half 
of our forces to arrive and take their place 
in the lines, while the rest of the army 
enjoyed a much needed half day's repose." 
The cause of the delay in attacking the 
Federal position will be seen in the follow- 
ing facts : General Longstreet, who was 
second in command of the Confederate 
Army, was opposed to attacking the Fed- 
erals. He says that it was agreed upon 
between Lee and himself before they left 
Virginia, that the Pennsylvania campaign 
was to be "offensive in strategy, but de- 
fensive in tactics." That is, that the 
Confedefates were to invade the State, 
menace Washington, and then choose a 
strong position and force the Federals to 
attack them, and in no case attack the 
Federals in any strong position they 
might take. Consequently when General 
Lee declared on the evening of the first 
day's engagement his intention of attack- 
ing the Union forces in the morning. 
General Longstreet remonstrated against 
it, telling Lee that that course was at 
variance with the ])lan of the campaign 
that had been agreed upon before leaving 
Fredericksburg. Longstreet's plan was 
that the Confederate army should move 
around by its right to the left of 
Meade, and put itself between him and 
Washington, threatening his left and 
rear, and thus force him to leave the 
strong position he had taken, and attack 
it in whatever position it might 
take. Lee would not consent to this sug- 
gestion, but persisted in his purpose to 
renew the battle the next day. Longstreet 
was reluctantly compelled to accede to the 
purpose of his chief, and accordingly says : 
"On the morning of the 2d, I Vv ent to Gen- 
eral Lee's headquarters at daylight, and 
renewed my views against making an 
attack. He seemed resolved, however, 
and we discussed the probable results. 
We observed the position of the Federals, 
and got a general idea of the nature of the 
ground. About sunrise General Lee sent 
Colonel Venable, of his staff, to General 
Ewell's headquarters, ordering him to 



Reminiscences of the War. 



77 



make a reconnoissance of the ground in 
his front, with the view of making the 
main attack on his left. A short time 
afterward he followed Colonel Venable in 
person. He returned at about nine o'clock 
and informed me that it would not do to 
have Evvell open the attack. He finally 
determined that I should make the main 
attack on the extreme right. It ^'as fully 
eleven o'clock when General Lee arrived 
at this conclusion and ordered the move- 
ment." [Annals of the War, pages 417, 
421,422.) 

Colonel W. H. Taylor, of Lee's staff, in 
the same book, page 309, says: "The pre- 
vailing idea with General I^ee was to 
press forward without delay ; to follow up 
promptly and vigorously the advantage 
already gained. Having failed to reap the 
full fruit of the victory before night, his 
mind was evidently occupied with the 
idea of renewing the assault upon the 
enemy's right with the dawn on the 
second. The Divisions of Maj, Generals 
Early and Rhodes, of Ewell's Corps, had 
been actively engaged, and had sustained 
some loss, but were still in excellent con- 
dition, and in full enjoyment of the pres- 
tige of success, and consequent elation of 
spirit, in having so gallantly swept the 
enemy from their front, through the 
town of Gettysburg, and compelled him 
to seek refuge behind the heights beyond. 
The Division of Maj. Gen. Edward John- 
son, of the same Corps, was perfectly 
fresh, not having been engaged. Ander- 
son's Division of Hill's Corps was also 
now up. With this force General Lee 
thought that the enemy's posision could 
be assailed with every prospect of success ; 
but after a conference with the Corps and 
Division commanders on our left, who 
represented that, in their judgment, it 
would be hazardous to attempt to storm 
the strong position occupied by the enemy, 
with troops somewhat fagged by the 
marching and fighting of the first day ; 
that the ground in their immediate front 
furnished greater obstacles to a successful 
assault than existed at other points of the 
line, and that it could be reasonably con- 
cluded, since they had so severely handled 
the enemy in their front, that he would 
concentrate and fortify with special refer- 
ence to resisting a further advance just 
these, he determined to make the main 
attack well on the enemy's left, indulging 
the hope that Longstreet's Corps would be 
up in time to begin the movement at an 
early hour on the second. He instructed 
General Ewell to be prepared to co-operat(> 
by a simultaneous advance by his corps." 

Thus it will be seen that the capture of 
Cemetery Hill, which might have been 
accomplished the evening before, was now 
considered impossible ; and as an attack 



upon the left of the Union position was 
determined upon, we will now turn our 
attention in that direction. 

General Longstreet in the Annals of the 
War, page 422, says that Gen. Lee did not 
return to his headquarters from the con- 
ference with the corps and division com- 
manders on his left, until nine o'clock, and 
that it was fully eleven o'clock when he 
had so far matured his plans as to issue his 
orders for their execution. At that hour 
he ordered Gen. Longstreet to move with 
the portion of his command that was up — 
McLaws and Hood's divisions — around by 
the Emmittsburg road on the Federal left. 
That would place these two divisions di- 
rectly opposite Sedgwick's and Sickles' 
corps, with the right of Hood's division 
opposite Round Top. Lee's plan was for 
Longstreet to open the battle by attacking 
Sickles on the Union left and, if possible, 
seize and hold Round Top. Simultaneous 
with the advance of these troops, Ewell 
was to attack our right. The whole plan, 
it will be seen, was dependent upon the 
two divisions of Longstreet; and Lee cer- 
tainly had a right to expect that they were 
near at hand, and the battle promptly be- 
gun, for they had encamped over night at 
Marsh creek, but tour miles from the field. 
But for some cause which Gen. Longstreet 
has utterly failed to satisfactorily explain, 
these troops upon whom so much depend- 
ed did not reach the positions assigned 
them until 4 o'clock. 

Shortly after the arrival of th^ Sixth 
Corps, Gen. Meade left his headquarters 
and proceeded to the extreme left, to at- 
tend to the posting of the troops, as also to 
inspect the position of the Third Corps, 
about which he was in doubt. When he 
arrived upon the ground about four o'clock 
he found that Gen. Sickles, instead of con- 
necting his right with the left of General 
Hancock, as he had been ordered to do, 
had thrown forward his lines three-quar- 
ters of a mile in front of the Second corps, 
leaving Little Round Top unprotected, 
and was without support on either flank. 
Gen. Meade at once saw this mistake, and 
Gen. Sickles promptly offered to withdraw 
to the line he had been commanded to occu- 
py, but Gen. Meade replied : "You cannot 
do it. The enemy will not let you get away 
without a fight." Before he had finished 
the sentence his prediction was fulfilled. 
At precisely twenty minutes past 4 o'clock 
the enemy began the battle by opening a 
terrific artillery fire upon our guns, and 
soon afterwards by an infantry attack upon 
our left. In a short time the cannonad- 
ing became general along our left and cen- 
tre, which was answered by the guns of the 
enemy of which more than one hundred 
were placed in a circuit of about three miles 
along the Semi nary ridge around to the Har- 



78 



Reminiscences of the War. 



risburg road, and on the bills totbe east of 
the town. Soon large masses of infantry 
from Longstreet's corps were thrown upon 
Sickles, the enemy at the same time send- 
ing a heavy force toward Little Round 
Top, which Gen. Warren, Meade's chief 
engineer, was holding with a few men 
whom he bad collected together. Seeing 
the vital importance of this position, and 
having no troops at hand to reinforce Gen . 
Warren, Gen. Meade sent one staff officer 
after another to Gen. Sykes, who was ap- 
proaching the field to urge him forward 
with all possible speed. At length, at 5 
P. M., when the crisis seemed to have been 
reached, the balance of the Fifth corps ar- 
rived, and crossing over from tlie Taney- 
town to the Emmittsburg road,atSherfy's 
peach orchard, and passing totbe north of 
Little Round Top, threw themselves upon 
the foe, seized Round Top, and literally 
carried up on it twelve thirty pounder 
Parrott guns, and in a short time it was 
transformed into a Gibraltar. In the mean- 
time, the attack upon Gen. Sickles was 
continued with great fury, and after a 
stubborn and gallant resistance, during 
which Gen. Sickles was wounded, the 
Third corps was compelled to fall back, 
shattered and broken, and to re-form be- 
hind the line originally intended to be 
held. Still the battle raged and the result 
for a time seemed doubtful until about six 
o'clock, when our men were being driven 
back, and the enemy was endeavoring to 
come in between Round Top and Little 
Round Top, advancing to the summit of 
the latter. Gen. Crawford's division of 
the Fifth corps, consisting of two brigades 
of Pennsylvania Reserves, went into a 
charge with a terrific shout, and drove the 
rebels down the rocky front of the hill, 
across the valley below, and over the next 
hill into the woods beyond, taking three 
hundred prisoners. This ended the battle 
on our left. The fight, on that part of our 
lines, was gloriously ended for that day, 
and Little Round Top was ours. Our lines 
which, in the morning, had rested on or 
near the Emmittsburg road, had receded 
one-third of a mile, but the enemy had 
been signally repulsed and we were still 
intact. 

A correspondent of the New York World 
furnished an account of this great struggle 
which is so graphic and thrilling, that I 
cannot refrain from inserting part of it 
here. His account is as follows : 
"The battle begun by a heavy fire on Cem- 
etery Hill. It must not be thought that 
this wrathful fire was unanswered. Our 
artillery began to play within a few mo- 
ments, and hurled back defiance and like 
destruction upon the rebel lines. Until 
six o'clock the rush of missiles and the 
bursting of bombs filled all the air. The 



clangor alone of this awful combat might 
well have confused and awed a less cool 
and watchful commander than General 
Meade. Itdid notconfuse him. With the 
calculation of a tactician, and the eye of 
an experienced judge, he watched from 
his headquarters, on the hill, whatever 
movement under the murky cloud which 
envelop^ the rebel lines might first dis- 
close the intention which it was evident 
this artillery firing covered. About six 
o'clock P. M. silence, deep, awfully im- 
pressive, but momentary, was permitted, 
as if by magic, to dwell upon the field. 
Only the groans — unheard before — of the 
wounded and dying, only a murmur, a 
wavering motion of the breeze through the 
foliage ; only the low rattle of preparation 
of what was to come embroidered this 
blank stillness. Then, as the smoke l)e- 
yond the village was lightly borne to the 
eastward, the woods on the left were seen 
filled with dark masses of infantry, three 
columns deep, who advanced at a quick 
step. Magnificent ! Such a charge, by 
such a force — full forty-five thousand men, 
under Hill and Lonsstreet — even though 
it threatened to pierce and annihilate the 
Third corps, against which it was directed, 
drew forth cries of admiration from all 
who beheld it. General Sickles and his 
splendid command withstood the shock 
with a determination that checked but 
could not fully restrain it. Back, inch by 
inch, fighting, falling, dying, cheering, 
the men retired. The rebels came on more 
furiously, halting at intervals, pouring vol- 
leys that struck our troops down in scores. 
General Sickles, fighting desperately, was 
struck in the leg and fell. The Second 
corps came to the aid of his decimated col- 
umns. The battle then grew fearful. 
Standing firmly against the storm, our 
troops, though still outnumbered, gave 
back shot for shot, volley for volley, al- 
most for death. Still the enemy was not 
restrained. Down he came upon our left 
with a momentum that nothing could 
check. The rifled guns that lay before our 
infantry on a knoll were in danger of cap- 
ture. General Hancock was wounded in 
the thigh. General Gibbin in the shoulder. 
The Fifth corps, as the First and Second, 
wavered anew, went into the breach with 
shouts and such volleys as made the rebel 
columns tremble at last. Up from the 
valley behind, another battery came roll- 
ing to the heights, and flung its shot in one 
instant down in the midst of the enemy's 
ranks. Crash! crashi with discharges deaf- 
ening, terrible, the musketry went on. 
The enemy, reforming after each discharge 
with wondrous celerity and firmness, still 
pressed up the declivity. What hideous 
courage filled the minutes between the ap- 
pearance of the Fifth corps and the ad- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



79 



vauce to the support of the rebel columns 
of still another column from the right. I 
cannot bear to tell. Men fell, as leaves fall 
in Autumn, before those horrible dischar- 
ges. Faltering for an instant, the rebel 
columns seemecLabout to recede before the 
tempest. But tneir officers, who could be 
seen through the smoke of the conflict, 
galloping and swinging their swords along 
the lines, rallied them anew, and the next 
instant the whole line sprang forward, as 
if to break through our own by mere 
weight of numbers. A division from the 
Twelfth corps, on our extreme right, 
reached the scene at this instant, and at 
the same time Sedgwick came up with the 
Sixth corps, having finished a march ot 
nearly thirty-six consecutive hours. To 
what rescue they came their officers saw 
and told them. Weary as they were, bare- 
footed, hungry, fit to drop for slumber, as 
they were, the wish for victory was so 
blended with the thought of exhaustion 
that they east themselves, in turn, en masse 
into line of battle, and went down on the 
enemy with death in their weapons and 
cheers on their lips. The rebel camel's 
back was broken by this 'feather.' His 
line staggered, reeled and drifted slowly 
back, while the shouts of our soldiers, lift- 
ed up amid the roar of musketry over the 
bodies of the dead and wounded, proclaim- 
ed the completness of their victory." 

It will be recollected that Ewell was to 
attackourrightsimultaneously with Long- 
street's attack upon our left ; but for rea- 
sons as inexplicable as the delay of the lat- 
ter to bring his troops into action prior to 4 
o'clock in the afternoon, when they had 
but four miles to march to reach the scene 
of conflict, he was not ready for the part 
assigned him until near eight o'clock in 
the evening. Previous to that liour there 
had been some sharp flring on this part of 
our line, but no general attack had been 
made. Ewell began early in the evening 
to mass his men for attack, llhode's di- 
vision was hurried forward from the west 
end of the town to unite with Early'sand 
Johnston's, then arrived from Carlisle. 
Early attacked Cemetery Hill. To the 
Louisiana Tigers was committed the task 
ofmaking the charge upon ourguns. They 
dashed forward with furious determination 
and although they lost half of their men 
in killed and wounded, some rushed up to 
the cannon, which M'ere too hot to be 
worked, but were beaten off by the gunners 
with clubs and stones. If they had been 
successful in this charge, the battle would 
have been lost to us. But the enemy was 
successfully met, slaughtered in great num- 
bers, and driven back with terrible loss. 
Ewell had directed a similar attack to be 
made at the same time upon the Twelfth 
corps, in the rear of Culp's Hill, through 



a valley leading up from Rock creek to- 
wards Spangler's spring. This point had 
been weakened by detachments sent to as- 
sist Sickles. The enemy came up under 
cover of the forest and approaching dark- 
ness, but with desperate courage were they 
met. Never did men fight with greater 
determination, and from the time the at- 
ack was begun to the close, about 7 to 9i P. 
M.,theroarofmusketry was continuous and 
terrific. The enemy's loss was fearful, the 
hills in front our lines were literally cov- 
ered with the wounded and dead. At 
length the battle ceased with only one point 
in our lines broken, and the rebels in 
possession ofa plain near Spangler's Spring. 
With this attack the battle of the day was 
over. And with this slight and short- 
lived success, the second day's battle ended 
with decided advantage to the Union army. 
But, O, what a scene of devastation and 
death did this field of strife present ! The 
dead and wounded strewed the ground ev- 
erywhere. Gen. Longstreet says that of 
the thirteen thousand men of his two di- 
visions which were engaged, 4,500,29—- 
more than one-third of their number- 
had been left upon the field. 

Two great mistakes were made by the 
rebels this day. The first was in delaying 
the attacks until so late an hour in the af- 
ternoon. Had Longstreet brought his two 
divisions into position early in the morn- 
ing and made the attack before 6 o''cloc/c, 
Hancock with his Second corps would not 
have been there to oppose them. Or had 
the attack been made before :2 o'clock P. 
M., Sedgwick with the Sixth corps would 
have been absent, and Sickles would not 
have had his powerful assistance, and 
Round Top, the key to the Union position, 
which up to 5 o'clock, when Sykes arrived 
with the balance of the Fifth corps, was 
inadequately manned, would have been 
taken, and the victory would have been 
gained by the enemy and perhaps the gov- 
ernment destroyed. Gen, Longstreet has 
been severely blamed for his delay in get- 
ting up his troops, and about the only ex- 
cuse he offers for his tardiness is, that he 
was kept back by E well's wagon train, 
which had the right of way. But this 
was on Tuesday and Wednesday, and his 
two divisions were on Wednesday night 
but four miles from the field. He will 
have to offer some more plausible reason, 
or history will record him as sadly delin- 
quent. One other mistake of this day was 
in Ewell's failing to attack our centre and 
right simultaneously with Longstreet's at- 
tack on the left as he was ordered to do. 
Had this attack been made the heavy with- 
drawals of troops from this part of our 
lines to assist in repelling the charges made 
on our left, could not have been made. In 
explanation of his failure to attack at the 



8o 



Reminiscences of the War. 



time be \yas ordered, Gen. Rhodes, wlio 
was on Early's right, says in his' report, 
tliat "after he had conferred with General 
Early on his left and Gen. Lane on his 
right, and arranged to attack in concert, 
he proceeded at once to make the necessary 
preparations ; but as he had to draw his 
troops out of the town by theflauk, change 
the direction of the line of battle, and then 
traverse a distance of twelve or fourteen 
hundred yards, while Gen. Early had to 
move only half that distance, without 
change of front, it resulted that, before be 
drove in the enemy's skirmishers. Gen. 
Early had attacked" and been compelled 
to withdraw," It is charged by Gen. Long- 
street that the real cause of Ewell's non- 
compliance with Gen. Lee's orders was, 
that he had broken his lines by sending 
two brigades off on some duty up the York 
road. It will thus be seen that the whole 
affair was disjointed and that there was an 
utter absence of accord in the movements 
of the several commands, and for this rea- 
son no decisive results attended the opera- 
tions of the rebels on this day. Is it not 
clear that the confusion in the counsels of 
the rebel chieftains, which was so conspic- 
uous in their failure to follow up the ad- 
vantages of the first day's engagement by 
attacking Cemetery Hill, still adhered to 
them and caused them to blunder and 
stumble to their final defeat ? But the end 
was not yet, and we will have other blun- 
ders yet to record. 

With the arrival of the balance of the 
Fifth corps, at five o'clock, the last of the 
Union forces had reached the field. 

Late this evening Pickett's division, 
which had been left at Chambersburg to 
protect the Confederate rear, by a forced 
march reached Gettysburg. 

Stuart's cavalry, after making a com- 
plete circuit of the Union army, this eve- 
ning united with the rebel force. 

Friday, 3d. 

During the night there was some read- 
justing the lines by the rebels. Pickett's 
Division, which arrived that evening, 
was placed to the left of Anderson and to 
the right of Heth, and directly opposite 
our left centre; and at 2 A. M. Rhodes 
moved his division to join the rest of 
Ewell's corps on our right. This was 
done so as to be ready, by the dawn of day, 
to improve the advantage gained the 
evening before, and, if possible, obtain 
possession of Gulp's Hill and then the 
Baltimore road. Thus massed, Ewell de- 
signed to throw his whole force upon our 
right, whilst Longstreet with his newly 
arrived division was to perform a similar 
work upon our left centre. 

The Federal forces were not inactive 
along this part of our line, and during the 



night that portion of the Twelfth Corps, 
which had been sent to assist in repelling 
the rebel onslaught upon our left, was re- 
turned to its place. Shaler's brigade of 
the Third division ot the Sixth Corps, as 
also Lockwood's Maryland brigade were 
al:o sent to assist in driving the enemy 
from the position he had captured the 
evening previous. 

At the dawn of day our artillery opened 
upon the rebels at the point where he had 
penetrated our line, and at sunrise a gen- 
eral infantry attack was also made. The 
battle raged furiously, and was maintain- 
ed with desperate obstinancy on both 
sides for six hours. The slaughter was 
fearful, as the Union forces, realizing the 
importance of dislodging the foe from the 
position they had temporarily occupied, 
drove them backward step by step, until 
the lost ground was entirely gained. At 
lOi A. M. tlie battle ceased with complete 
victory to our arms, after which it was 
not renewed on that part of our line. In 
this engagement. Gen. Geary, afterwards 
Governor of our State, commanded the 
Union forces. 

Gen. Longstreet, who, it will be remem- 
bered, did not force an attack upon our 
position, but counselled Lee to move 
around by our left and get between our 
army and Washington, went early in the 
morning to see Gen. Lee, and, if possible, 
have him adopt his plan. Gen. Long- 
street says: "I did not see Gen. Lee that 
night. On the next morning he came to 
see me, and, fearing that he was still in 
his disposition to attack, I tried to antici- 
pate him by saying : 'General, I have had 
my scouts out all night, and I find that 
you still have an excellent opportunity to 
move around to the right of ISIeade's 
army, and manouvre him to attacking 
us.' He replied, iiointing with his flst at 
Cemetery Hill, 'The enemy is there, and 
I am going to strike him.' I felt that it 
was my duty to express my convictions. I 
said: 'General, I have been a soldier all 
my life, I have been with soldiers engag- 
ed in fights by couples, by squads, com- 
panies, regiments, divisions and armies, 
and should know, as well as anyone, what 
soldiers can do. It is my opinion that no 
fifteen thousand men ever arrayed for 
battle can take that position,' pointing to 
Cemetery Hill. Gen. Lee, in reply to 
this, ordered me to prepare Pickett's Divi- 
sion for the attack. I should not have 
been so urgent had I not foreseen the 
hopelessness of the proposed assault. I 
felt that I must say a word against the 
sacrifice of my men ; and then I felt that 
my record was such that Gen. Lee would 
or could not misconstrue my motives; I said 
no more, however, but turned away. The 
plan of assault was as follows : Our artil- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



8i 



lery was to be massed in a wood, from 
which Pickett was to charge, and it was 
to pour a coutinuoua lire upon the euemy. 
Under cover of this fire, and supported by 
it, Piclvett was to charge." 

From 11 A. M. to 1 P. M. all was still— 
a solemn pause of preparation, as if both 
armies were nerving themselves for the 
last and supreme eflbrt. In entire ignor- 
ance of the fact that his troops had been 
dislodged from the position they had oc- 
cupied throughout the night upon his left, 
Lee was making preparations for the final 
onslaught. At length at precisely seven 
minutes jjast one o'clock, the awful silence 
was broken. The enemy opened upon 
Cemetery Hill and our left centre a teni- 
l)est of fire from one hundred and twenty 
guns, placed ail along their line from left 
to right. His object was, by subjecting 
our artillery on Cemetery Hill to a circle 
of cross tire to dismount our guns, demor- 
alize our men, and prepare the way for 
the final charge. Owing to the character 
of the ground our army could reply with 
but eighty guns. This artillery duel, 
which lasted about two hours, it is said, 
was the most severe and terrible experien- 
ced anywhere during the war. It produc- 
ed a continuous succession of crashing 
sounds as if tlie heavens were rent aasun- 
der, and the artillery of heaven was let 
loose upon earth. The air was filled with 
whizzing, screaming, bursting shells and 
solid shot, causing the very earth to 
shake, and sending many a mortal to his 
last account. 

Mr. Wilkinson, of the New York Iri- 
bune, who was at Gen. Meade's headquar- 
ters wlien this fire was severest, thus 
describes it : 

"In the shadow cast by the tiny farm 
house, sixteen by twenty, which Gen. 
Meade had made his headquarters, lay 
wearied stafFofficers and tired correspond- 
ents. There was uot wanting to the 
peacefulness of the scene the singing of a 
bird, which had a nest in a peach tree 
within the tiny yard of the whitewashed 
cottage. In the midst of iis warbling a 
shell screamed over the house, instantly 
followed by another, and another, and in 
a moment the air was full of the most 
complete artillery prelude to an infantry 
battle that was ever exhibited. Every 
size and form of shellknown to British 
and American gunnery shrieked, whiiied, 
moaned, whistled and wrathfully fluttered 
over our ground. As many as six in a 
second, constantly two in a second, burst- 
ing and screaming over and around the 
headquarters, made a very hell of tire that 
amazed the oldest officers. They burst in 
the yard — burst next to the fence on both 
sides, garnished as usual with the hitched 
h orses of aides and orderlies. The fasten- 



ed animals reared and plunged with ter- 
ror. Tlien one fell, then another — sixteen 
. lay dead and mangled before the fire ceas- 
ed, still fastened by their halters, which 
gave the expression of being wickedly 
tied up to die painfully. These brute 
victims of a cruel war touched all hearts. 
Through the midst of the storm of scream- 
ing and exploding shells an ambulance 
driven by its frenzied conductor at full 
speed, presented to all of us the marvelous 
spectacle of a horse going rapidly on three 
legs. A hinder one had been shot otl' at 
the hock. A shell tore up the little step 
at the headquarters cottage, and ripped 
l)ags of oats as with a knife. Another 
soon carried off one of its two pillars. 
Hoon a spherical case burst opposite the 
open door — another ripped through the 
low garret. The remaining pillar went 
almost immediately to the howl of a fixed 
shot that Whitworth must have made. 
During this fire the horses at twenty and 
thirty feet distant were receiving their 
death, and soldiers in Federal blue were 
torn to pieces in the road, and died with 
the peculiar yells that blend tlie extorted 
cry of pain with horror and despair. Not 
an orderly, not an ambulance, not a strag- 
gler was to be seen upon the field swept 
by this tempest of orchestral death, thirty 
minutes after it commenced. Were not 
one hundred and twenty pieces of artillery 
trying to cut from the field every battery 
we had in position to resist their proposed 
infantry attack, and to sweep away the 
slight defenses behind which our infantry 
were waiting ? Forty minutes — fifty min- 
utes—counted watches that ran, O so lan- 
guidly ! Shells through the two lower 
rooms. A shell into the chimney that 
did not explode. Shells in the 
yard. The air thicker and fuller, and 
more deafening with the howling and 
whirring of these infernal missiles. The 
Chief of Staff struck — Seth W^illiams — lov- 
ed and respected through the army, sepa- 
rated from instant death by two inches of 
space vertically measured. An aid bored 
with a fragment of iron through the bone 
of the arm. And the time measured on 
the sluggish watches was one hour and 
forty minutes." 

Said General Howard in his official re- 
port, ''a single shell exploding in the cem- 
etery killed and wounded twenty-seven 
men in one regiment." Said another: 
'•A soldier was lying on the ground a few 
rods distant from where I was sitting. 
There was a shriek, such as I hope never 
again to hear, and his body was whirled 
in the air, a mangled mass of flesh, blood 
and bones." 

The Federal commanders well under- 
stood what the object of this tremendous 
fire was, and calmly and with undismay 



82 



Reminiscences of the War 



prepared to meet it. After the fire had con- 
tinued about an hour and a half the artil- 
lerists were ordered gradually to slacken 
their fire, and finally to cease altogether, 
with the purpose of making the enemy 
believe that Ihey had silenced our guns 
and thus bring on the assault the sooner. 
The artillerists threw themselves upon the 
ground for rest, but were not permitted to 
lie there long. The ruse had succeeded 
and soon there went out the word all 
along the line, "'Here they come." Two 
long, dark, massive lines of infantry were 
seen to issue from the wooded crest of 
Seminary Ridge, and move steadily over 
the intervening plain towards our left 
centre. These columns were composed of 
Pickett's division of Longstreet's corps, 
which had not up to that time taken any 
part in the battle, having only arrived 
from Chambersburg the evening before. 
This division was supported on the left by 
Pettigrew's brigade of Heth's division of 
Hill's Corps, and on the right by Wright's 
a,nd Wilcox's brigades of Anderson's divi- 
sion of the same corps. The whole of this 
assaulting force amounted to 18,U00 
or 20,000 men. When this moving mass 
of men had crossed about one-third of the 
space between the two armies, our batter- 
ies were opened upon them, ploughing 
great gaps in their ranks, which were 
quicklyclosed up. For a moment they seem- 
ed to waver, and then with terrific yells 
pressed on again. When they had reach- 
ed the Emmittsburg road, within musket 
range, the infantry arose and poured into 
their ranks a withering fire. The whole 
crest of the hill was lit with a solid sheet 
of flame before which Pettigrew's column 
melted away, and in five minutes were 
streaming back, leaving besides the dead, 
a third of their number prisoners. Pick- 
ett's veterans pressed on and on, and so de- 
termined were they that they fairly broke 
through the first Union line, charging 
right among the batteries, where a hand 
to band fight took place. The assailants 
advanced a few rods, and met another line 
which had been formed. All that mortal 
men could do was done by Pickett's men, 
but they were met by a force equally 
brave and determined, and finallj'^ repuls- 
ed. Of the three brigade commanders, 
one lay dead, another fatally wounded, 
and the third borne otF to die. Of fifteen 
field ofilcers only one was unhurt. The 
ground was strewn with the dead and 
wounded. When the survivors attempted 
to retreat they were met by a furious fusil- 
ade, and they fiung themselves upon the 
ground with hands uplifted in token of 
surrender. Of that gallant band three out 
of four were dead or prisoners. Pickett's 
division was annihilated. When the 
smoke lifted, a few hundred rebels were 



seen moving backward towards the place 
from which they came ; and at last two or 
three men carrying a single battle flag 
which they had saved, and several ofticers 
on horseback followed the fugitives. 

As everything connected with this 
great and decisive charge upon the Union 
line is of deepest interest, I give here the 
following graphic sketch by an eye wit- 
ness, Charles Carleton Coffin, in his 
"Boys of 1861." 

"As soon as the approach of the enemy 
was perceived every man was on the alert. 
The cannoneers sprung to their feet. 
The long lines emerged from the woods, 
and moved rapidly but steadily over the 
fields, towards the Emmittsburg road. 
Howard's batteries burst into flame, 
throwing shells with the utmost rapidity. 
There are gaps in the rebel ranks, but on- 
ward still they come. They reach the 
Emmittsburg road. Pickett's division ap- 
pears by Klingel's house. All of How- 
ard's guns are at work now. Pickett 
turns to the right, moving north, driven 
in part by the fire rolling in upon his 
flank from Weed's Hill (Little Hound 
Top) and from the Third, Fifth and Sixth 
Corps batteries. Suddenly he faces east, 
descends the gentle slope from the road 
behind Codori's, crosses the meadow, 
comes in reach of the muskets of the Ver- 
monters. The three regiments rise from 
their shallow trench. The men beneath 
the oak trees leap from their low breast- 
works of rails. There is a ripple, a roll, a 
deafening roar. Yet the momentum of 
the rebel column carries it on. It is be- 
coming thinner and weaker, but they still 
advance. The Second Corps is like a 
thin blue ribbon. Will it withstand the 
shock? "Give them cannister I Pour it 
into them !" shouts Major Charles How- 
ard, running from battery to battery. 
The rebel line is almost up to the grove in 
front of Robinson's. It has reached the 
clump of scrub oaks. It has drifted past 
the Vermont boys. Onward still, 'Break 
their third line! Smash their supports!' 
cries Gen. Howard, and Osborne and 
Wainwrightsend the fire of fifty guns into 
the column, each piece fired three times a 
minute I The cemetery is lost to view — 
covered with sulphurous clouds, flaming 
and smoking and thundering like Sinai on 
the great day of the Lord ! The front 
line of rebels is melting away — the second 
is advancing to take its place ; but beyond 
the first and second is the third, which 
reels, and breaks, and flies to the woods 
from whence it came, unable to withstand 
the storm. Hancock is wounded, and 
Gibben is in command of the Second 
Corps. 'Hold your fire, boys ; they are 
not near enough yet,' says Gibben, as 
Pickett comes on. The first volley stag- 



Reminiscences of the War 



83 



gers, but does not stop them. They move 
upon the run— up to the breastworks of 
rails — bearing Hancock's line to the top 
of the ridge — so powerful their momentum . 
Men fire into each otlier's faces, not five 
feet apart. There are bayonet thrusts, 
sabre strokes, pistol shots ; cool, deliberate 
movements on the part of some — hot, pas- 
sionate, desperate efforts with others ; 
hand to hand contests; recklessness of 
life ; tenacity of purpose ; fiery determin- 
ation ; oaths, yells, curses, liurrahs, 
shoutings; men go down on their hands 
and knees, spinning round like tops, 
throwing out their arms, gulping up 
blood, falling; legless, armless, headless. 
There are ghastly heaps of dead men. 
Seconds are centuries; minutes, ages; 
but the thin line does not breali. The 
rebels have swept past the Vermont reg- 
iments. 'Take them in flank,' says Gen. 
Stannard. Tlie Thirteenth and Sixteenth 
swins out from the trench, turn a right 
angle to the main line, and face to tlie 
north. They move forward a few steps, 
pour a deadly volley into the backs of 
Kemper's troops. With a liurrah they 
rush on to drive home the bayonet. The 
Fifteenth, Nineteenth, Twentietli Massa- 
chusetts and Seventh Micliigan, Twen- 
tieth New York, Nineteenth Maine, One 
Hundred and Fifty-first Pennsylvania, 
and other regiments catch the enthusiasm 
of the moment, and close upon the foe. 
The rebel column has lost its power. The 
lines waver. The soldiers of the front 
rank look around for their supports. 
They are gone— fleeing over the field, 
broken, shattered, thrown into confusion 
by the remorseless fire from the cemetery 
and from cannon on the ridge. The lines 
have disappeared like a straw in a candle's 
flame. The ground is thick with dead, 
and the wounded are like the withered 
leaves of autumn. Thousands of rebels 
throw down their arms and give them- 
selves up as prisoners." 

While this great struggle was going on 
upon our left centre, Stuart, who had only 
joined Lee the evening before from his cir- 
cuitous route around the Union army, re- 
inforced by Jenkins' brigade, led an attack 
upon our rear. Passing around our right he 
was met by the Federal cavalry, and after 
a desperate hand to hand fight, in which 
many fell upon both sides, was defeated 
and driven back simultaneously with the 
defeat on the front. 

Hood's division, too, which had been 
annoying Little Round Top all afternoon, 



still kept up an occasional tire after the 
repulse of Pickett. It remained for the 
Pennsylvania Reserves to defeat this force 
an<l close the battle of Gettysburg. 
Led by the gallant Crawford they drove 
the foe, captured the battery which had 
annoyed them, together with three hun- 
dred prisoners, and seven thousand stand 
of arms. By this action the ground lost 
by Sickles the day before was regained, 
and our wounded who had lain there for 
twenty-four hours entirely uncared for, 
were recovered. This charge occurred 
about 5 o'clock in the evening, and with 
it the battle closed. The losses of the two 
armies during the three days' engagement 
at Gettysburg has been overestimated. 
Some accounts place the number killed, 
wounded and missing at 37,000 for each 
army. Later and more reliable accounts 
place the Union loss at 23,190, of whom 
16,-j67 were killed and wounded, and 0,043 
were missing. Col. Taylor, of Gen. Lae's 
staff, says that on the 20th of July, after 
returning to Virginia, the Confederate 
army numbered 41,380 effective men, 
showing a total loss in the Pennsylvania 
campaign of about 29,000. 

It is a singular coincidence that the re- 
bellion should receive its most decisive de- 
feat in the east and west at the same time, 
for the same shado\<^ on the dial which 
marked the time of the crusliing over- 
throw at Gettysburg, indicated also anoth- 
er scene in the great drama twelve hun- 
dred miles away at Vicksburg. 

The battle of Gettysburg has been con- 
sidered as the turning point in the war, for 
from it the ultimate failure of the re- 
bellion was assured. And as that battle 
was the culminating crisis of the war, so 
the last great effort of Lee when he hurled 
twenty thousand of his choicest troops 
against the Union line, was the supreme 
crisis of that battle, and also of the coun- 
try's history. The rebellion at that point 
reached its high water mark, and from 
that on the waters steadily receded. That 
charge then was the turning point of his- 
tory and of human destiny. It failed, and 
with its failure was demonstrated the fact 
that a government founded upon oppres- 
sion and wrong could not succeed in the 
advanced light and civilization of this age, 
and the shadow be made thereby to go 
backward upon the dial of human progress. 
The Republic was "saved, redeemed, bap- 
tized and consecrated anew to the coming 
ages." 



84 



Reminiscences of tJic War 



CHAPTER X. 



The Gueat Tkain of Wounded from Gettysburg. 



Soon after tbe final repulse of the rebels 
in their last {jreat charge upon the left 
centre of the Federal position at Gettys- 
burg upon the afternoon of Friday, July 
8d, they manifested considerable fear for 
their safety, and some adjustment of their 
lines and additional breastworks were hur- 
riedly made, to prepare for an expected 
counter-charge by the Union forces. Gen. 
Longstreet says that he expected that Gen. 
Meade would throw his forces against 
their shattered ranks, and that, to prepare 
for this, he at once sent his staff officers to 
the rear to assist in rallying the troops and 
preparing the batteries to receive them. 
But for reasons satisfactory to himself, for 
which he has been somewhat censured. 
Gen. Meade did not deem it advisable to 
order this charge. During the night Ew- 
ell's division was withdrawn from its ex- 
posed position in the town and upon the 
hills southeast of it, and placed behind the 
defences of Seminary Ridge. The wound- 
ed were gathered from the field and car- 
ried to the rear, and during the ensuing 
day a large number of such as could bear 
transi^ortation were placed in wagons and 
sent, under care of Gen. Imboden, across 
the South Mountain, with instructions to 
take the nearest route across the country 
to Willlamsport, and thence cross the l^o- 
tomac into Virginia. This immense train, 
estimated at from seventeen to thirty miles 
in length, with its thousands of maimed, 
wounded and dying, tbe details of which 
shall occupy mainly this chapter, left the 
field about four o'clock in the afternoon, 
crossed the mountain by tlie same route it 
had come, at Greenwood leaving the pike 
and taking what is known as the ''Pine 
Stump Road" or the "Walnut Bottom 
Road," leading by way of New Guilford 
and New Franklin to the Main road lead- 
ing from C'hambersburg toGreeneastleand 
Hagerstown, coming out with the latter at 
or near Marion and from thence to the Po- 
tomac at Willlamsport. 

On the same day, Saturday, 4th, Gen. 
Lee withdrew from his lines west ot the 
town and marched down near the base of 
the mountain by the Fairfield road, crossed 
the mountain at the Monterey pass and 
thence passed on through Hagerstown, and 
on ihe night of Monday 13th recrossed the 
river. The Confederates were closely pur- 
sued by Gen. Meade, who, by a flank 
movement through Middletown and Tur- 
ner's Pass, secured for him by Geu. French, 



came upon the enemy on the 12th, but 
owing to the strength of his position did 
not deem it advisable to attack him. For 
this failure to attack Lee, Gen. Meade has 
been considerably censured, but in the 
light of subsequent disclosures as to the 
impregnableness of the rebel position, his 
course is now deemed wise and prudent. 
The first of the rebel infantry crossed the 
Potomac on the 2()th of June, and recross- 
ed on the loth of July into Virginia. Thus 
it will be seen the campaign north of the 
Potomac lasted twenty-four days. 

Leaving the army of Gen. Lee now, to 
which I shall not have occasion in these 
reminiscences again to refer, unless to de- 
tached portions, I turn to notice the wagon 
train heretofore spoken of. The vastness 
of this train, and the aggregate of woe, 
sufferingand anguish it contained, it seems, 
has never been understood by the country. 
And now to bring it before the reader in 
some adequate form, I annex here the fol- 
lowing graphic description given by Gen. 
Imboden, who had charge of it, in an ar- 
ticle contributed by him to the Galaxij of 
April, LS71. After detailing his opera- 
tions along the line ot the Baltimore and 
Ohio Railroad in Western Virginia, and 
his passage up the valley to McConnells- 
burg, Fulton county, and thence by Mer- 
cersburg and Chambersburg to Gettysburg, 
where he arrived about noon of Friday, 
the 3d of July, Gen. Imboden says : 

I belonged to uo division or corps in our 
army, and therefore on arriving near Gettys- 
burg about noon, when the conflict was raging 
in all its fury, I reported directly to General 
Lee for orders, and was assigned a position to 
aid in repelling any cavalry demonstration that 
might occur on his flanks or rear. None being 
uuide, my little force took no part in the battle. 
I then had only about 2,100 effective mounted 
men and a six-gun battery. 

When night closed upon tlic grand scene our 
army was repulsed. Silence and gloom perva- 
ded our camps. AVe knew that the day liad 
gone against us, but the extent of the disaster 
was not known except in high quarters. The 
carnage of the day was reported to have been 
frightful, but our army was not in retreat, and 
we all surmised that with to-morrow's dawn 
would come a renewal of the struggle ; and we 
knew that if such was the case those who had 
not been in the fight would have their full 
share in the honors and dangers ofthe next day. 
All felt and .appreciated the momentous conse- 
quences of final defeat or victory on that great 
field. These considerations made that, to us, 
one of those solemn and awful nights that 



Reminiscences of tJie War. 



85 



everyone wlio fought through our long war 
soiTictinies experienced befon^ a great battle. 

Few camp tires enlivened the scene. It was 
a warm summer's night, and the weary sol- 
diers were lying in groups on the luxuriant 
grass of the meadows we occupied, discussing 
the events of the day or watching that their 
hoi'ses did not straggle otfin browsing around. 
About eleven o'clock a horseman apiiroached 
and delivered a message from General Lee, 
that he wished to see me immediately. 1 
mounted at once, and, accompanied by Lieu- 
tenant Mc'Thail of my staff, and guided l)y the 
courier, rode about two miles toward Gettys- 
burg, wh(!r(; half a dozen small tents on the 
roadside were pointed out as General Lee's 
headquarters for the night. He was not there, 
but I was informed {hat I would lind him with 
General A. P. Hill half a mile further on. On 
reacliing the place indicated, a flickering, soli- 
tary candle, visible through tlie open front of a 
common tent, showed where Generals Lee and 
Hill were seated on camp stools, with a county 
mai> spread upon their knees, and engaged in a 
low and earnest conversation. They ceased 
speaking as I approached, and after the ordina- 
ry salutations General Lee directed me to go to 
his lieadquarters and wait for him. He did 
not return until about one o'clock, when he 
came riding alone at a slow walk and evident- 
ly wrajiped in profound thought. 

There was not even a sentinel on duty, and 
no one of his stall' was about. The moon was 
higli in the heavens, shedding a Hood of soft 
silvery light, almost as bright as day, upon the 
scene. When he approached and saw us, he 
sijoke, reined up his horse, and essayed to dis- 
mount. The effort to do so betrayed so much 
physical exhaustion that I stepped forward to 
assist him, but before I reached him he had 
alighted. He threw his arm across his saddle 
to rest himself, and fixing his eyes upon the 
ground leaned in silence upon his equally 
weary hor.se ; the two forming a striking group, 
as motionless as a statue. The moon shone full 
ui)on his massive features, and revealed an ex- 
]iression of .sadness I had never seen upon that 
tine countenance before, in any of the vicissi- 
tudes of the war through which he had passed. 
I waited for him to speak until the silence be- 
came painful and embarrassing, when to break 
it, and change the current of his thoughts, I 
remarked in a sympathetic tone, and in allu- 
sion to his great fatigue : 

"General, this has been a hard day on you." 

This attracted his attention. He looked u]i 
and replied mournfully : 

"Ves, it has been a sad, sad day to us," aiul 
immediately relapsed into his thoughtful mood 
and attitude. Being unwilling again to intrude 
upon his reflections, I said no more. After a 
minute or two he suddenly straightened up to 
his full height, and turning to me with more 
animation, energy, and excitement of manner 
than I had ever seen in him before, he address- 
ed me in a voice tremulous with emotion, and 
said : 

"General, I never saw troops behave more 
magnificently than Pickett's division of Vir- 
ginians did to-day in their grand charge upon 
the enemy. And if they had been supported, 
as they were to have been — but, for some rea- 
son not yet fully explained to me, they were 



not — we would have held the position they so 
gloriously won at such a fearful loss of noble 
lives, and the day would have been ours." 

After a moment he added in a tone almost of 
agony : 

"Too bad ! Too bad .'.' Oh ! too had ! ! !" 

I never shall forget, as long as I live, his 
language, and his manner, and his apijearance 
and expression of mental suffering. Altogeth- 
er it was a scene that a historical painter 
might well immortalizi! had one been fortu- 
nately x>resent to Avitness it. 

In a little while he called up a servant from 
his sleep to take his horse ; spoke mournfully, 
by name, of several of his friends who had fall- 
en during the day ; and when a candle had 
been lighted invited me alone into his tent, 
wh(!re, as soon as we were seated, he remarked : 

"We must return to Virginia. As many of 
our poor wounded as jiossible must be taken 
lionn^ I have sent for you because your men 
are fresh, to guard the trains back to Virginia. 
The duty will be arduous, resiionsible and dan- 
gerous, for I am afraid you will be harrassed 
by the enemy's cavalry. I can spare you as 
much artillery as you require, but no other 
trooi)s, as 1 shall need all I have to return to 
the Potomac by a different I'oute from yours. 
All the transportation and all the care of the 
wounded will be intrusted to you. You will 
recross the mountain by the Chambersburg 
road, and then proceed to William.sport by any 
route you deem best, without halting. There 
rest and feed your animals, then ford the river, 
and make no halt till you reach Winchester, 
where I will again communicate with you." 

After a good deal of conversation he sent for 
his chiefs of staff and ordered them to have 
everything in readiness for me to take com- 
mand the next morning, remarking to me that 
the general instructions he had given would be 
sent to me next day in writing. As I 
was about leaving to return to my camp, 
he came out of his tent and said to nae 
in a low tone: "I will place in your hands 
to-morrow a sealed package for President 
Davis, which you will retain in your own po.s- 
session till you are across the Potomac, w'hen 
you Avill detail a trusty commissioned officer to 
take it to Richmond with all possible despatch, 
and deliver it immediately to the President. I 
impress it upon you that whatever happens 
this package must not fall into the hands of 
the enemy. If you should unfortunately be 
captured, destroy it." 

On the morning of the 4th my written in- 
structions and the package for Mr. Davis were 
delivered to nie. It was .soon apparent that 
the wagons and ambulances and the wounded 
coiild not be ready to move till late in the 
afternoon. The General sent me four foui"-gun 
field batteries, which with my own gave me 
twenty-two guns to defend tlu! trains. 

Shortly after noon the very windows of 
heaven seemed to have been opened. Kain fell 
ill dashing torrents, and in a little w-hile the 
whole face of the earth was covered with water. 
The meadows became small lakes ; raging 
sti-eams ran across the road in every depression 
of the ground ; wagons, ambulances and artil- 
lery carriages filled the roads and fields in all 
directions. The storm increased in fury every 
moment. Canvas v^as no protection against it, 



S6 



Reminiscences of the War. 



;iii(l till! i)()oi- wuuikU'iI, lying \\\iO\\ tlio li;ird, 
naked boards of the wagon bodies, were di-eiicli- 
(mI by the cold rain. Horses and mules were 
blinded and maddened by the storm, and 
became almost immanageable. The roar of the 
winds and waters made it almost imjiossible to 
communicate orders. Night was rapidly ap- 
proaching, and there was danger that in the 
darkness the "confusion" would become 
"worse confounded." About4 P. M., the head 
of the column was put in motion and began 
the ascent of the mountain. After dark I set- 
out to gain the advance. The train was seven- 
teen miles long when drawn out on the road. 
It was moving rapidly, and from every wagon 
issued wails of agony. For four hours I gallop- 
ed along, passing to the front, and heard more 
— it was too dark to see — of the horrors of war 
than I had witnessed from the battle of Bull 
Run up to that day. In the wagons were men 
wounded and mutilated in every conceivable 
way. Home had their legs shattered by a shell 
or Minie ball ; some were shot through their 
bodies ; others had arms torn to shreds ; some 
had received a ball in the face, or a jagged 
piece of shell had lacerated their heads. 
Scarcely one in a hundred had received ade- 
quate surgical aid. Many had been without 
food for thirty-six hours. The irragged, 
bloody and dirty clothes, all clotted and hard- 
ened with blood, were rasiiing the tender, 
inflamed lijis of their gajiing wounds. Very 
few of the wagons had even straw in them, and 
all were without springs. The road was rough 
and rocky. The jolting was enough to have 
killed sound, strong men. From nearly every 
wagon, as the horses trotted on, such cries and 
shrieks as these greeted the ear : 

"Oh God ! why can't I die ?" 

"My God ! will no one have mercy and kill 
me and end my misery ?" 

"Oh! stop one minute and take me out and 
leave me to die on the roadside." 

"I am dying ! I am dying ! My poor wife, 
my dear children ! what will become of you ?" 

Some were praying ; others were uttering 
the most fearful oaths and execrations that 
despair could wring from them in their agony. 
Occasionally a wagon would be i^assed from 
which only low, deep moans and sobs could be 
heard. No help could be rendered to any of 
the sufferers. On, on; we?)n(Si move on. The 
storm continued and the darkness was fearful. 
There was no time even to fill a canteen with 
water for a dying man ; for, except the drivers 
and the guards disposed in compact bodies 
every half mile, all were wounded and help- 
less in that vast train of misery. The night 
was awful, and yet it was our safety, for no en- 
emy would dare attack us when he could not 
distinguish friend from foe. \ye knew that 
when day broke upon us we would be harrass- 
ed by bands of cavalry hanging on our flanks. 
Therefore our aim was to go as far as possible 
under cover of the night, and so we kept on. 
It was my sad lot to pass the whole distance 
from the rear to the head of the column, and no 
language can convey an idea of the horrors of 
that most horrible of all nights of our long and 
bloody war. 

Daybreak on the morning of the 5th found 
the head of our column at Greencastle, twelve 
or fifteen miles from the Potomac at "Willams- 
port, our Tioiut of crossing. Here our aijjjre- 



hended troubles from the Union cavalry began. 
From the fields and cross-roads they attacked 
us in small bodies, striking the column where, 
there were few or no guards, and creating great 
confusion. 

To add still further to our ijerplexities, a re- 
port Avas brought that the Federals in large 
force held Williamsport. This fortunately 
proved untrue. After a great deal of harrass- 
ing and desultory fighting along the road, 
nearly the Avhole immense train reached Wil- 
liamsport a little after the middle of the day. 
The town was taken possession of; all the 
churches, school houses, etc., were converted 
into hospitals, and proving insufiicient, many 
of the private houses Avere occupied. Stra\v 
Avas obtained on the neighboring farms ; the 
wounded were removed from the Avagons and 
housed ; the citizens A\^ere all put to cooking 
and the army surgeons to dressing AA'ounds. 
Th(! dead Avere selected from the train — for 
many had perished on the Avay — and Avere 
decently buried. All this had to be done be- 
cause the tremendous rains had raised the river 
more than ten feet above the fording stage, and 
Ave could not not pos.sibly cross. 

Our situation was frightful. We had OA'er 
10,000 animals and all the wagons of General 
Lee's army under our charge, and all the 
Avounded that could be brought from Gettys- 
bitrg. Our supply of jirovisions consisted of a 
few Avagon loads of flour and a small lot of cattle. 
My eftectiA'e force Avas only about 2,100 men 
and twenty-odd field jjieces. We did not 
knoAV Avhere our army was ; the river could not 
bs crossed ; and small jiarties of caA'alry Avere 
still hoA'ering around. The means of ferriage 
consisted of two small boats and a small wire 
rope stretched across the river, Avhich owing to 
the force of the SAVollen current broke several 
times during the <lay. To reduce the space to 
be defended as much as possible, all the 
Avagons aad animals Avere parked close togeth- 
er on the ri\'er bank. 

Believing that an attack Avould soon be made 
upon us, I ordered thcAvagoners to be mustered, 
and, taking three out of CA'ery four, organized 
them into companies, and armed them Avith 
the Aveapons of the Avounded men found in tlie 
train. By this means I added to my effective 
force about five hundred men. Slightly 
wounded officers promptly A^olunteered their 
services to command these improA'ised soldiei's; 
and many of our quartermasters and commis- 
saries did the same thing. We Avere not seri- 
ously molested on the 5th ; but next morn- 
ing about 9 o'clock information reached me 
that a large body of caA-alry from Frederick, 
Maryland, was rapidly adA-ancingto attack us. 
As Ave could not retreat further, it was at once 
frankly made knoAvn to the troops that unless 
Ave could repel the threatened attack Ave should 
all become prisoners, and that the loss of his 
Avhole transportation avouUI iirobably ruin Gen- 
eral Lee ; for it could not be replaced for many 
months, if at all, in the then exhausted condition 
of the Confederate states. So far from repress- 
ing the ardor of the troops, this frank announct;- 
ment of our i:)eril inspired all Avith the utmost 
enthusiasm. Men and officers alike, forgetting 
the sufferings of the past feAV days, proclaimed 
their determination to drive back the attacking 
force or perish in the attempt. All told, av© 
AA^ere less than 3,000 men. The advancing force 



Reminiscences of the War 



87 



we knew to be more than double ours, consist- 
ing, as we had ascertained, of tive regular and 
eight volunteer regiments of cavalry, with 
eighteen guns, all under the command of (leu- 
erals Buford and Kilpatrick. We had no works 
of any kind ; the country was open and almost 
level, and there was no advantage of jjosition 
we could occupy. It inust necessarily be a 
square stand up tight, face to face. We had 
twenty-two tield guns of various calibre, and 
one Whitworth. These were disposed in batte- 
ries, in semi-circle, about one mile out ot the 
village, on the summit of a very slight rising 
ground that lies back of the town. Except the 
artillery, our troops were held out of view of 
the assailants, and ready to be moved promjot- 
ly to any menaced i3oint along the whole line of 
nearly two miles in extent. Knowing that 
nothing could save us but a bold "blutt"" game, 
orders had been given to the artillery as soon as 
the advancing forces came within range to open 
fire along the whole line, and keep it up with 
the utmost rapidity. A little after one o'clock 
tiiey apiieared on two roads in our front, aiul 
our batteries oi)ened. They soon had their guns 
in position, and a very lively artillery fight be- 
gan. We fired with great rapidity, and in less 
than an hour two of our batteries reported that 
their ammunition was exhausted. This would 
have been fatal to us but for the opportune ar- 
rival at the critical moment of an ammunition 
train from Winchester. The wagons Avere fer- 
ried across to our side as soon as possible, and 
di'iveu on the field in a gallop to supjily the si- 
lent guns. Not having men to occupy half our 
line, they were moved up in order of battle, 
first to one battery, then withdrawn and doub- 
le-quicked to another, but out of view of our 
assailants till they could be shown at some oth- 
er point on our line. By this mameuvring we 
made the impression that we had a strong sup- 
porting force in rear of all our guns along tlu; 
entire front. To test this. Generals Buford and 
Kilpatrick dismounted five llegiments and ad- 
vanced them on foot on our right. We concen- 
trated there all the men we had, wagoners and 
all, and thus, with the aid of the united fi re of 
all our guns directed at the advancing line, we 
di'ove it back, and rushed forward two of our 
batteries four or five hundred yards further to 
the front. This boldness prevented another 
charge, and the fight was continued till near 
sunset with the artillery. About that time Gen- 
eral Fitzhugh Lee sent a message from toward 
Greencastle, that if we could hold out an hour 
he would reinforce us with 3,000 men. This in - 
telligence elicited a loud and long-continued 
cheer ahmg our whole line, which was heard 
and understood by our adversaries, as we learn- 
ed from prisoners taken. A few minutes later 
GeneralJ. E. B.Stuart, advancing from Ha- 
ger.stown, fell unexpectedly upon the rear of 
their right wing, and in ten minutes they were 
in rapid retreat by their left Hank in the direc- 
tion of lioon.sboro. Night coming on enabled 
them to escape. 

By extraordinary good fortune we had t hus 
.saved all of General Lee's trains. A bold 
charge at any time b(>for(^ sun.set would have 
broken our feeble lines, and we sliould all have 
fallen an easy prey to tlie Federals. This came 
to he known as "the wagoners' fight" in our 
army, from the fact that so many of them were 
armed and did such gallant service in repelling 



th<i attack made on our right by the dismoun- 
ted regiments. 

Our defeat that day would have been an ir- 
reparable blow to General Lee, in the loss of 
all his transportation. Every man engaged 
knew this, and probably in no fight in the war 
was there a more determined spirit .shown than 
by this handful of cooped-up troops. The n(»xt 
day our army from (xettysburg arrived, and the 
country is familiar with the manner in which 
it escaped across the Potomac on the night of 
the 9th. 

It may be interesting to rejieat one or two 
facts to show the peril in which we were until 
the river could be bridged. About 4,000 pri.s- 
ouers taken at Gettysburg were ferried across 
the river by the morning of the 9th, and I was 
ordered to guard them to Staunton. Before we 
had proceeded two miles I received a note from 
General Lee to rei^ort to him in person imme- 
diately. I rode to the river, was ferried over, 
and galloped out toward Hagerstown. As I pro- 
ceedf^l I becanu^ satisfied that a serious demon- 
stration was making along our front, from the 
heavy artillery firing extending for a long dis- 
tance along the line. I overtook General Lee 
riding to the front near Hagerstown. He im- 
mediatel}' reined up, and remarked that he be- 
lieved I was familiar with all the fords of the 
Potomac above Williamsport, and the roads ap- 
proaching them. I replied that I knew them 
perfectly. He then called up some one of his 
staft" to write down my answers to his questions, 
and required me to name all fords as high 
up as Cumberland, and describe minutely 
their character, and the roads and surrounding 
country on both sides of the river, and directed 
me to send my brother, Colonel Imbod^n, to 
him to act as a guide with his regiment, if he 
should be compelled to retreat higher iiii the 
.river to cross it. His situation was then very 
precarious. When about parting from him to 
recross the river and move on with the prison- 
ers, he told me they would probably be rescued 
before I reached Winchester, my guard was so 
small, and he expected a force of cavalry would 
cross at Harper's Ferry to cut us oft'; and he 
could not spare to me any additional troops, as 
he might be hard pressed before he got over the 
river, which was still very much swollen by the 
rains. Referring to the high water, he laugh- 
ingly inquired, "Does it ever quit raining 
about here? If so, I should like to see a clear 
day." 

These incidents go to show how near Gettys- 
burg came to ending the war in 1863. If we 
had been successful in that battle, the proba- 
liilities are that Baltimore and Washington 
would at once have fallen into our hands ; and at 
that time there was so lai'ge a "peace party" in 
the North, that the Federal Government would 
have found it difticult, if not impossil)le, to car- 
ry on the war. General Lee's opinion was that 
we lost the battle because Pickett was not sup- 
ported "as he was to have been." On the other 
hand, if Generals Buford and Kilpatrick had 
cai)tured tin; ten thousand animals and ail tli<> 
transportation of Lee's army at WilIiamsi>ort, 
it would have been an irreparable loss, and 
would probably have; led to the fall of Itich- 
uHuul in the autumn of 18(!.".. On such small 
circumstances dotheatlairs of nations some- 
time turn. J. D. IMBODEN. 



88 



Reminiscences of the War 



Leaving out of Geu, Imboden's account 
of this immense train that part which is 
but bluster and braggadocia, it will yet be 
seen that it comprised as much distress 
and suffering as was probably ever brought 
together in any one place on this conti- 
nent. He estimates that train at seven- 
teen miles in length. Other accounts, how- 
ever, make it much longer. In the Frank- 
lin Repository of July Sth, I8G0, it is said 
that this train commenced to pass through 
Greencastle on Sunday morning at 4 A. m. 
and continued until 11 A. m. Monday. 
This would make thirty-one hours in pass- 
ing one point; and allowing but one mile 
to an hour, and we have thirty-one miles, 
as its probable length. In the same paper 
from which I have thus quoted, the num- 
ber of wounded in these wagons and walk- 
ing along by them, is stated at from ten to 
twelve thousand. Add to this vast num- 
ber the seven thousand, five hundred and 
forty who were left upon the flel<i who 
were too badly wounded to be borne away, 
or for whom transportation could not be 
given, and some idea may be formed of 
the extent of the losses of those three 
eventful days. All along the route by 
which this train made its way, broken 
wagons and dead and dying soldiers were 
strewn ; while in and about Gettysburg, 
in the fields, along the roadside, and in 
houses and barns in the rear of the rebel 
line, maimed and suffering men were found 
everywhere. I will reserve for a subse- 
quent chapter an account of the sad and 
terrible scenes I witnessed upon visiting 
the field on the Tuesday after the battle. 
Rev. Isaiah Baltzel informs me that on 
Monday, after the last of this train had 
passed, he rode along the road from Mari- 
on to Greencastle, and ail along the route 
the terrible evidences of its passage were 
seen. Broken wagons lay here and there 
all along the route. Upon looking into 
one of these wagons, the occupants hav- 
ing been removed, the whole bottom was 
smeared with blood. Upon passing a house 
a woman called him and asked him if he 
was a doctor. She said they had taken 
two wounded men from a wagon and put 
them in their barn, and unless they had 
surgical care they would die. The men 
were moaning out their agony so distress- 
ingly that he could not endure it. Their 
wounds had not been dressed. 

Rev. J. Milton Snyder, son of J. C. Sny- 
der, Esq., of New Franklin, and now a 
resident of Meyersdale, Somerset county. 
Pa., furnishes the following account : 

"I can well remember wlien tlie rebel train 
of wounded came from Gettysburg, by way of 
my father's and New Franklin. 1 was quite 
young at the time, aud hence noticed many 
things that escaped the notice of older ])ersons. 
On Saturday evening, July 4th, 18G3, whilst we 



wen; quietly seated in the house, father heard 
a i>eculiar noise as the the approach of a heavy 
storm. This was, if I remember correctly, 
about 10 o'clock on Saturday night. Father 
went out into th(! darkness to listen. A short 
wlule after a body of rebel cavalry came down 
the road from Cr(!enwood. They halted at 
father's and called him out. The night was 
very dark. They a.sked to \m directed to ( i reen- 
ca.stle. They seemed to be lost or bewihh^red. 
Father not knowing whether they were Union 
or rebel, directed them jiroperly." About mid- 
nisxlit the first of the train of wounded reached 
our ])lace. 'I'hi^ wagons kept the main road as 
much as iiossiVile, and on either side of the train a 
(continual stream of wounded soldiers kept mov- 
ing. Thus they continiied coming and going 
the remainder of Saturday night, all day Sun- 
day and the last wagon jiassed by New Frank- 
lin on Monday at !) o'clock. The train of wound- 
ed left the pike at Greenwood, came on the old 
"Walnut Bottom lioad" (called also the Pine 
Stump road), through New Guilford by my 
father's, through New Franklin, thence to Mar- 
ion and Greencastle. On JNlonday morning 
Gregg's cavalry came after the train, following 
the same route. Gen. Gregg halted at father's 
and 'camped' in one of our fields east of New 
li'ranklin and in our orchard. Some of our 
Franklin county boys were with Gregg, and 
Mr. Henry Flanagan visited his parents in the 
village of New Franklin. The rebels claimed 
that they were goinjr South for ammunition. 
Kebtil soldiers, wounded, were left all along the 
route of retreat. JNIany died and were buried 
by the roadside. 1 shall never forget those 
ghastly wounds, those thousands of fiices dusky 
with powder, and that battery of black aud 
horrid tield pieces they had sent, as could be 
.seen, many charges of 'grape' into the bosom 
of our brav<! men." 

Mr. George Myers, residing near the 
railroad station at Marion, says that many 
of the teamsters did not attempt to keep 
the road, but took the nearest route across 
the fields, the wheels cutting in the soft 
ground up to the axles. Some of the cav- 
alrymen having lost the road went along 
the railroad, jumping their tired horses 
over the cattle guards. All the night long 
groans and cries of distress were heard, 
and their pump was in continual use for 
water to bathe the wouudsand quench the 
thirst of the wretched inmates of the wag- 
ons. In the morning some of the wagons 
from which groans were heard to come 
were closed down by curtains, the poor 
wretches having died. 

Rev. J. C. Smith, at that time a resident 
of Greencastle, gives the tollowingaccount; 

"Saturday, July 4th, 1803, closed with a per- 
fect quiet in Cireencastle. Captain Dahlgreen 
and his trooiis disappeared as mysteriously as 
they had come. The stragglers, who had been 
bringing \i\) the rear of Lee's army, had either 
all passed through or had received a hint that 
it would be a saving of muscle to advance no 
further North just then. Greencastle went to 
bed in entire ignorance of the results of the 
battle of Gettysburg, hopeful to be sure, but 



Reminiscences of the War. 



89 



not assured tli;it all was well. Four o'clock 
Siuulay inoniiug we awoke to hear the nimb- 
linj; of wagons, the tramping of horses, the 
noise and racket attending an army in motion. 
The first (xuestion naturally would be, 'what 
does all this commotion mean '." And lh<; an- 
swer came readily and earlier, 'Tlun-e goes au- 
otlier rebel army to help deci<le the battle in 
l)rogress at Gettysburg.' Hastily dn^ssing and 
going out on the stre<^t, we were supremely 
ha]ii)y in seeing the army lieailing Iheotiier di- 
rection. It was the army of wounded fnnii (he 
battletield ha.stening on toward tlui Potomac lo 
cross over to Virginia. No one, with any l'e(!l- 
iiigs of pity, will ever want to sees such a sighl: 
more than once in a life-tinu\ Herc^ came thi^ 
men who but eight or ten days bef(n-e had 
lia.ssed through our town in the lu'inuiof lu^alth, 
iioasting of the ex])loits they would do, wh(>n 
I hey would have the ha|)py chance, of seeing 
the Union army. A uu)re crest-fallen, \vo('-lie- 
gone nujb may never have been seen. Hurry 
was tlie order of the day. Tliey seenu^d almost 
to \w pushing each otlier forward. Vet when 
asked about the results of the battle, the otli- 
cers invariably declared that they gave the boys 
in blue a sound thrashing. In conversation 
with an intelligent officer, I asked, 'If you have 
thrashed our army so soundly, why ai'e you 
leaving us so hurriedly '.' Why not stay and 
occupy your conquered t.erritory '." In reply 
he said : 'O, we are just taking thesi; home to 
have them cured up, and with these wagons 
bring on more ammunition and soldiers and 
tinish up the job.' Then said he, 'did you hear 
from Vicksburg ?' 'No,' said 1. 'Well, Peni- 
berton has captured Grant and his army.' I 
did not feel as though I could go into ectacies 
OA-er this, but still hoped that for vei'acity he 
might be classed among these creatures whom 
Paul accuratelyMescribesin 1st Tit. 1: 1'2. The 
common soldier seemed to be eitiier too stupid, 
or else forbidden to give a true account of the 
battle, but all the way througli the colored por- 
tion declared that they were badly whipped. 
Such a scene of suftering, who may undertake 
to describe ! No one counted the wounded. 
They could not be counted because hundreds of 
wagons loaded with them were a part of this 
train. All who were wounded in the lower ex- 
tremities were placed into these huge and rough- 
rolling army wagons. When passing over any 
l)art of the street whei'c the wagon would jolt, 
they wou'd yell and groan with jiain. J\lany 
had received their hurt on Wednesday and 
Thursday before, \vith no attention i)aitl to 
them bj' surgeons, the doctors ]ia\ingbeen kejit 
l)usy with the more grave c<ises. All who were 
wounded in the head, the arms, the shoulder, 
the non-vital parts of the body, were compelled 
to walk througli the mud ankle deep, with no 
food save a little flour mixed w-ith water and 
baked on a few coals. Those wounded in the 
arms or shoulder would tear away the garment 
and expose the wounded part. Such arms — 
swollen to twice or thrice their natural size — 
red and angry. When they cam(! to a puni]), one 
would place his wounded member under the 
spout while another woukl pumjicold water on 
the sore. Then he would do a like service to his 
comrade. Thus the pumps were going all that 
day. 1. will particularize one case; this will 
be a sample for probably five or six thousand 



similar ones. He was from North Carolina ; 
was shot through the arm, betw(;eii the shoul- 
d(!r and tlu; e.ll)ow. The arm was swollen to 
the size of a medium sized man's thigh, very 
red and inflamed. Nothing had been done for 
him by the doctor save to press a wad of cot- 
ton into the wound in each side of tin; arm. He 
had received his wound on Wednesday. Now 
said he, '1 am going home, and 1 will never en- 
ter the army again.' Said 1, 'my dear friend, 
I fear you can't rca(di honi<! soon. I learn that 
(lur govermentr has thrown an army on the 
Soiitli bank of the Potomac' Said lie, '1 nev- 
er wanted to go into this war. They came to 
my houH! and drov(! me into thc^ army at the 
point of t lie bayonet. Tlie next time they coiiks 
they may shoot mi^ down at my door; T will 
rather die than light again.' We estimated th(^ 
number of wounded that jiassed through our 
town at I'i, (»()(» to 1.5,0110. If was an easy mat- 
ter to trac(! their \vork of Higlit. Dead horses, 
broken down and abandntied wagons, canncui 
carriages and caisons, new made graves. 1 1 was 
simply a road coven^d with wrecks. 

On iMonday evening, June Gth, about sun- 
down some cavalry, being the rear guard, 
passed through, and there ended our connection 
with the llebel Confcidciracy." 

Mr. David Z. Shook, a resident of Green- 
cast'e, and an eye witness, relates the fol- 
lowing : 

"We were awakened by a rumbling sound 
in the direction of Chainbersburg. It was the 
wagon train from Gettysburg. The teamsters 
and guards were somewhat excited, and were 
hurrying through. Many of the wagons were 
loaded with wounded, whose cries and groans 
w^ere pitiful indeed. We asked the rebels what 
was up ? They told us that a battle had been 
fought at Gettysburg, but it w-as not at all de- 
cisive. They said too that they were only tak- 
ing their wounded oft" and that they expected 
reinforcements from Virginia. They tried to 
hide their defeat, but we saw that there were 
more than wounded hurrying towards Virginia. 
(3ne poor fellow begged to be lifted out of a 
wagon and laid on the ground as his pain in 
the jolting wagon was unbearable, but the 
teamsters hurried on and kept no account of 
his entreaties. The night following being very 
dark, many persons in town engaged in captur- 
ing horses and cattle from the train. As cat- 
tle passed by T saw many turned into alleys. 
Horses tied behind wagons had their halters 
cut and were led away unobserved. Many 
hor.ses, too, gave out here and were left. They 
suf^ereil greatly from not being shod, tlieir 
hoofs being worn oft' to the (juick. Many such 
were oftered for sale — fine ones being oftered as 
low as five dollars in Yankee money. I cap- 
tured a tine bay horse, hid him in the barn, 
fed him well and felt proud of my possession. 
A few days after a citizen of Greencastle came 
to the barn, recognized his horse, proved him, 
and took him away. I did not smile for a 
week. The rebels iiad taken this hor.se on 
tlieir way to Gettysburg, and I had the luck to 
get him as my first capture, though T was in 
utter ignorance of his belonging to a fellow 
townsman until he informed me. INIany i)er- 
sons threw taunts at the retreating foe, such 
as 'How are you Gettysburg?' 'Have you 



90 



Reminiscences of the War. 



been to JMiiUulelpliia already?' ami 'Did you 
meet the Pennsylvania militia down there?' 
An officer rode np to a pump and asked for 
water. A eitizen standing by said, 'Did you 
get enough of J/e«fi(' over there?' The nl'ticer 
grew furious and called him an imi)udent 
puppy." 

Some of our citizens residing upon the 
eastern outskirts of the town said that for 
a day or two they had heard cannonading 
across the South Mountain. During the 
battle of Antietam,and on other occasions 
when there was artillery firing down about 
the Potomac, the sound could be heard 
distinctly by persons in the country away 
from the uoiseof the town. These sounds 
were more distinct along the Conoco- 
cheague creek, which runs into the Poto- 
mac at Wiliiamsport, and along the sides 
of the mountains. During the battle of 
Gettysburg, the South Mountain interven- 
ing, the sound of the cannonading was 
not so distinct. It resembled the noise 
occasioned by the distant slamming of a 
door. 

On Saturday evening at 6 o'clock, not- 
withstanding the inclemency of the 
weather, and the uncertainty as to the 
result of the battle which we knew had 
been fought, a number of our citizens 
gathered in front of the Court House for 
the purpose of celebrating our national 
holiday. The Burgess, Mr. Hoskiusou, 
presided, assisted by two tried soldiers.. 
Captains Samuel McKesson and George 
Jj. Miles as Vice Presidents. Mr. J. Por- 
ter Brown, also a soldier, was Secretary of 
the meeting. The Franklin Rc2)<mtorij 
of July loth, says that the Declaration of 
Independence was read by Mr. William 
I. Cook. My recollection is, that Mr. 
Upton Washabaugli read the Declaration. 
Speeches were made by Hon. George W. 
Brewer, W. S. Stenger, W. S. Everett, 
Esqs., and Revs. Forney and Dickson. 
The Chambersburg Band, under charge of 
Mr. H. B. Hatnick, furnished music for 
the occasion. 

At the conclusion of this meeting Mr. 
H. E. Hoke informed a number of persons 
that he had heard from the balcony of his 
house on East Market street, a low rum- 
bling noise as if an immense train of 
wagons were moving from the pass of the 
South Mountain across the country to- 
wards Greencastle. Taking several per- 
sons with him, Mr. Hoke led these 
persons to his dwelling, and upon going 
out upon the balcony and holding their 
ears close to the brick wall of tlie house, 
they all clearly heard the sound, and came 
to the conclusion that Lee was retreating. 

About 10 o'clock that same evening 
(Saturday, July 4th) while seated upon 
the door step in front of my house at the 
north-east corner of the Diamond, Mr. 



Thomas Fletcher, now deceased, came 
along and sat down by my side. He in- 
formed me that lie had just returned from 
a scouting service out near Turkey Foot, 
and that the whole vvay from South 
Mountain by Greenwood along the Pine 
Stump road was crowded with hundreds 
upon hundreds of wagons, loaded with 
wounded men ; that they were but weak- 
ly guarded, and a few cavalry could cap- 
ture nearly the whole train. From this 
fact of these wagons going South, we con- 
cluded that Dee was defeated and was 
retreating. 

At the break of day on Sabbath morn- 
ing, July oth, I was called from my bed to 
go immediately to the School House Hos- 
pital on King street, adjoining the jail, to 
assist in removing from a number of 
wagons, which had lost their way in the 
night and had come to this place, a lot of 
wounded rebels from Gettysburg. Re- 
pairing hastily to King street I found 
some four or five wagons, each drawn by 
four horses or mules, and all laden with 
wounded men. Standing upon the pave- 
ment in front of the hospital was a rebel 
soldier with his arm ofi" close to his should- 
er. O, what a sight ! Bloody, wounds 
undressed, almost famished for water and 
food, these men presented a sight such as 
I never wish to see again. After they 
were all taken into the hospital I went to 
the residence of Mrs. Ritner, adjoining the 
Kiug street church, and engaged her to 
furnish them with bread. Coffee, beef tea, 
and such other things as they needed were 
furnished day after day, until General 
('ouch, some four or five days thereafter, 
moved his headquarters from Harrisburg 
to this place, when he took charge of the 
hospital. Some of the wounded men told 
us that their army was defeated at Gettys- 
burg, and that Lee was retreating. 

The following is an account of the way 
this wagon train lost its way and came 
into t'hambersburg. In the darkness of 
the night these wagons became separated 
from the train, and coming out into the 
Greencastle road, this side of Marion near 
the White Church, one of the teamsters or 
wagonmasters called at a house and in- 
quired the nearest way to Wiliiamsport. 
A woman looking out of a window 
and waving her hand towards Chambers- 
burg said, '"You had better go that way." 
Following her direction they came into 
town shortly before the break of day. Mr. 
John A. Lemaster, who resided at that 
time near the corner of Main and German 
streets, has furnished me with the follow- 
ing statement: Hearing a noise in the 
street he went to the window and looked 
out. A number of wagons were standing 
in the street, the front resting at German 
street. Cries and groans came from all 



Reminiscences of the War. 



91 



the wagoDs. After stopping a little while 
a man on horseback rode up to the front 
teamster and said, "Why don't you drive 
on y" The teamster replied, "We are on 
the wrong road ; this is not Williams- 
port." The horseman replied, "'Tis Wil- 
liamsport ; only drive on for the Yankees 
are just behind us." The teamster then 
said, "Williamsport has no church steeple 
like that," referring to the Reformed 
church. "I tell you," said the horseman, 
"this is Williamsport. Don't you know 
that just down there in that hollow is the 
canal and the river ? Drive on as fast as 
you can, and after you are across the river 
you can take all the time you want." 
Another person coming up at this time 
and surveying the situation, said as he 
pointed westwardly down German street, 
"That looks more like the right way ; 
down there in that hollow are the canal 
and river." At length a teamster from 
the rear was put in charge of the front 
team, and the whole drove on down Main 
street and out to the intersection of Main 
and Second, followed by a number of citi- 
zens, when they were convinced that they 
were in Chambersburg and compelled to 
surrender. The teams were at once driv- 
en back to the Hosi>itaI on King street, as 
already stated. 

Mr. Jacob S. Brand tells me that when 
these wagons were opposite his residence 
on Main street, near the Diamond, the 
young man I have referred to as having 
his arm ofT near the shoulder, succeeded 
in getting out unable longer to endure the 
jolting. Mr. Brand said to him, "What 
does this mean ?" "It means," said he, 

"that Uncle Robert has got a 

whipping." 

Returning to my residence after the re- 
moval of the wounded rebels from this 
wagon train, I found a man at our door 
from the country, who had come to town 
to learn the latest news. His horse was 
hitched in front of our store. Telling him 
the situation, and showing him the im- 
portance of sending information of the 
large wagon train then passing through 
our county for Virginia, as quickly as pos- 
sible to the authorities at Harrisburg, he 
consented to carry the despatch westward 
on the Pittsburg pike, to be delivered to 
the repair party who, we had heard, were 
somewhere between Chambersburg and 
Doudon repairing the telegraph line. I 
hastily wrote a despatch to Governor Cur- 
tin, stating the fact, and suggesting that a 
small body of cavalry, if a large body 
could not be sent, could capture a large 
part of that train. Handing this dispatch 
to the man, he mounted his horse and 
went at a rapid gait out on the western 
pike. I have no knowledge whether my 
despatch ever reached Governor Curtin ; 



but it happened that the brave New York 
cavalry, who distinguished themselves by 
whipping twice their number of rebels in 
McConnellsburg, and also rode into the 
jaws of death a half mile north of Green- 
castle on Monday, June lJ2d, were at that 
time in McConnellsburg, and by some- 
body's orders they crossed the mountain, 
ten or twelve of them coming directly to 
this place, and the remainder taking 
across the country from Loudon towards 
Greencastle. When they came up to the 
wagon train they made a dash upon it, cut 
the traces, stampeded the horsesand mules, 
and in this way by repeated efforts, they 
succeeded in capturing several hundred 
wagons with the horses and mules. Some 
time towards evening the ten or twelve 
cavalry ivho headed for this place entered 
our town. They were the first Union 
soldiers we had seen fora numberof weeks. 
Never were visitors so welcome. The 
blessed army blue never looked so comely. 
We began to feel that we yet had a Coun- 
try and a Government, and that after all 
the glorious flag of our fathers floated in 
triumph. Some wept for joy. Others 
flung their hats in the air and shouted 
aloud. Soon a pole was improvised, a 
flag drawn forth from its hiding place and 
nailed to the end, and the pole raised aloft 
and spiked fast to the stump of the pole 
raised on the 18th of April, 1861, and cut 
down by Imboden's cut throats on the 
Wednesday preceding. 

On Monday morning about eight o'clock, 
while standing in front of our store. Dr. 
A. H. Senseny, who was just returning 
from a visit to the King Street Hospital, 
told me that already vermin had made 
their appearance in the wounds of 
the rebels, and that unless real Cas- 
tile soap were procured and their wounds 
washed, they would all die. I pur- 
chased all of this soap Mr. A. J. Miller, 
the druggist, had and took it to the 
hospital and delivered it to the stew- 
ard, telling him what to do with it. 
Upon coming out of the hospital I saw a 
man running up Second street from the 
depot, waving his hat in one hand and a 
paper in the other, shouting and yelling 
at the top of his voice. It proved to be 
Mr. J. W. Deal, the postmsster. He had 
spent most of the time during the invasion 
in Harrisburg, and having come up that 
morning as far as the Scotland bridge, he 
there took a hand car and came to town, 
bringing with him an extra issued by one 
of the newspapers of Harrisburg, giving 
the details of the battle. I caught the 
words, " Victory ! Victory at Gettysburg! 
Lee in full retreat 1 1" I waited for no 
more but ran down King street to Main 
and up to the front of the Court House, 
calling upon everyone I saw to follow me 



92 



Reminiscences of the War 



aud hear the glorious news. Mr. iJeal 
aoou reached the C'ouri House steps, and 
to an imnaense throng he read to us the 
first authentic and detailed news we had 
yet received of the great battle at Gettys- 
burg. The cup of our rejoicing was now 
full, and shouts and huzzahs rang out 
from almost every lip. Conveyances 



were at once in great demand to visit the 
field of carnage. Many started on foot. 
1 was one of the fortunate ones and pro- 
curing a team, in company with three 
others, we started a little after the middle 
of the day for Gettysburg. I will resume, 
however, an account of this trip for a sub- 
sequent chapter. 



CHAPTER XI. 



Scouting Sekvice. 



As soon as the rebel forces began to 
pass through our town, we saw the pro- 
priety of sending all the information of 
their number and movements to the au- 
thorities at Harrisburg which we could. 
And while we had no concerted method of 
operation by which information was to be 
gathered and sent, a number of our citi- 
zens made careful estimates of the num- 
ber of troops and cannon which daily 
passed tlirough the town, and in such ways 
as they could, forwarded the same to the 
Capital of the State. Hon. F. M. Kim- 
mell, at one time presiding Judge of this 
district, who had acted as Provost Mar- 
shall. during the period our town was un- 
der martial law, about the time of the in- 
vasion of Maryland and the battle of An- 
iietam, in 18G2, had been requested by 
(irovernor Curtin to exercise a general su- 
]>erintendence here during the war. I'his 
fact was unknown to us, yet by general 
consent many of us cooperated with Mr. 
Kimmell in collecting and forwarding in- 
formation during the invasion. The late 
Judge Paxton and Mr. Christian Stoutter 
were specially directed l)y Mr. Kimmell to 
take careful estimates of the enemy's force, 
and these estimates, with those made by 
others, were forwarded every day to Har- 
risburg by some of our young men. I am 
unable to give the names of all who made 
these perilous journeys to and from the 
Capital. Messrs. Shearer Houser, Benja- 
min S. Huber, J. Porter Brown, Anthony 
Holler, Mr. Kinney, vSellers Montgomery, 
Thomas J. Grimison and Stephen W. 
Pomeroy were among the number. When 
anything which we deemed of special im- 
portance occurred, we made it a point to 
dispatch a messenger as soon as possible. 
Usually the facts we wished to communi- 
cate were written upon a very small piece of 
paper, and these papers were secreted some- 
where about the person of the scout. Upon 



one occasion Shearer Houser, wlien on his 
way with a dispatch, was captured by 
some rebel cavalrymen ,and to avoid the fate 
which surely awaited him, if his dispatch 
were found upon liis person, pulled from 
his pocket a plug of tobacco and bit otrthe 
end in which the paper was secreted. 
While chewing and attempting to swallow 
it, he looked up into the brancTaes of a tree 
under whicli he was standing, and tried 
to decide upon wliich one he would be 
hanged. On some occasions messages 
were carried verbally, which was consid- 
ered less riskfal. In the front room above 
our store, overlooking the Diamond, at a 
distance from the window that tlie person 
could not be seen by the passing rebels, 
with pencil and paper, the soldiers and 
cannon were counted. In almost every 
case the dispatches were written by .fudge 
tvimmell. We all knew that according to 
the rules of war, we would be hanged if 
caught, and on one occasion (tcu. Couch 
sent us tliis message by one of our scouts : — • 
"Tell tlie gentlemen engaged in this busi- 
ness that the information they send us is 
of great importance, and I hope they will 
continue it, l)Ut if detected tlie^^ will sure- 
ly be executed." We wore aware of our 
danger, and did our work so as to avoid 
detection. 

It is not my purpose to put upon record 
liere the circumstances connected with all 
the trips to and from Harrisburg made by 
our scouts. This I could not do for the 
reason that I could not give even the 
names of all the heroic young men en- 
gaged in this perilous work. I will, how- 
ever, refer to but a few cases of special im- 
portance, which are as follows : 

1. Gen. Lee's arrivalin Chambersburg , 
and his furning fo the east in connection 
with the iuissage of HiWs Corjis in the 
same direction. 



Reminiscences of the War. 



93 



In a previous chapter I gave a detailed 
account of tlie arrival of Gen. Lee in our 
town, his consultation in the Dia- 
mond with Gen. Hill, and his turning 
east in the direction of Gettysburg. This 
occurred about nine or ten o'clock in the 
forenoon of Friday, June 2t;th. It should 
be borne in mind tLiat Rhode's and John- 
son's divisions of Ewell's Corps had al- 
ready passed through and gone on down 
towards Harrisburg, but in the morn- 
ing of this day Heth's division of Hill's 
Corps arrived, and instead of following the 
troops of Gen. Ewell down the valley, 
turned east and went in the direction of 
Gettysburg. This led us to suspect that 
Lee's real purpose was Baltimore and 
Washington, and that the demonstration 
down the valley was to mislead and de- 
ceive our authorities. When Gen. Lee 
arrived, and held that consultation with 
Gen. Hill, we felt anxious to see which 
way he would go, assured that whichever 
way he went would determine the real 
point of attack. That this opinion was 
shared by intelligent citizens, as well as 
the writer, will appear in the following 
note by Bishop J. Dickson, then a resident 
of our town : 

]\rK. J. Hoke : — l^ear Sir : — I stond uoav you 
in the Diamond of CLarabersbnrg at tlie thnc 
lien. Lee and staff were there, and I witnessed 
the I'ouneil between Lee and Hill, and when 
Lee turned east, following that part of Tlill's 
Corps, which had already gone in that direc- 
tion, 1 felt satisfied that Baltimon; and Wash- 
ington were his destiiiatidii. 

J. Dickson. 

Impressed with the fact stated, and the 
necessity of transmitting the same as 
speedily as possible to the authorities at 
Harrisburg, 1 called the attention of Mr. 
lienjamin .S. Huber, whostood by my side, 
to the importance of their council, when 
he at once volunteered, tired though lie 
was from the trip he had just completed, 
to carry the intelligence. As soon as Ijce 
and his statr turned east, J tuber started on 
his second trii> to the Capital. The follow- 
ing is ]Mr. Huber's own account of his 
journey : "I struck at once across the 
country for Roxbury, at the base of the 
North Mountain, and there obtained the 
services of S. L. Sentman, (the same per- 
son who, a few days later, furnished Mr. 
Pomeroy with a horse.) Under Mr. Sent- 
man's guidance, (he l)eing mounted and 1 
walking) we passed through Dothau Val- 
ley to Amberson's Valley. In passing 
through this narrow valley we had to cross 
Trout Run several times. As I was on foot 
I had to wade the stream, which came up 
nearly to my knees. When we reached 
Amberson's Valley Mr. Sentman left me, 
and I pursued my way alone and passed 



into Perry county near Germantown. 
Upon entering Amberson's Valley, how- 
ever, I pressed a horse, and at (German- 
town I got my supper and had my horse 
fed. About eight o'clock I left German- 
town for Newport, some forty-two miles 
distant. This distance I rode in about sev- 
en hours without dismounting. Arriving 
at Newport, on the Pennsylvania railroad 
above Harrisburg, about three o'clock in 
the morning, I put my horse at a hotel 
and, a train coming along soon after, I 
took passage for Harrisburg. Shortly after 
daylight we reached the Capital, and when 
I got out of the cars I saw Hon. D. W. 
Rowe, then in some military service, but 
now Judge of this Judicial District. I 
told Mr. Rowe the news I brought, when 
he at once conducted me to the Capitol. 
Upon going into one of the rooms [of the 
Capitol, I found myself in the presence of 
a number of persons, among whom' were 
Governor Curtin, Gen. Couch and Gen. 
Smith. After telling them my statement 
I was put through a close examination by 
one of the Generals — I think it was Gen. 
Smith. After he had examined me he 
said: "Well, gentlemen, the information 
this young man brings is of the most vital 
importance, if we can rely upon it." Mr. 
William M'Lellan was there, and he 
said, "Gentlemen, I know this young man 
— you can rely upon every word he says." 
After a siiort consultation between the 
<TOvernor and the military men, they com- 
menced writing, and the telegraph opera- 
tors were set to work. 1 sat for awhile 
and heard one of the orticerssay to anoth- 
er something about the army of the Poto- 
mac fighting the rebels before they could 
get across the South Mountain. After a 
little while I arose to leave when Gover- 
nor Curtin took me by the hand, thanked 
me for the news I brought, and gave me 
an order for free transportation back to 
Newport. Returning to Newport I moun- 
ted my horse and rode home by the same 
way I had come. After returningthe hor.se 
to ills owner, I walked home, and on the 
way a rebel soldier stole my hat ofl" my 
head. While I was away, the rebels were 
all about the country and my wife became 
alarmed, and shut up the house and went 
to a relative of hers. When I went into 
the house I found that the rebels had been 
in it and carried away nearly all our cloth- 
ing, so that I had not a change of clothing 
or a hat to replace theone taken from me." 

,(?. The dispatch carried by Messrs An- 
thony Holler and Mr. Kinney. 

In a former article upon this subject, 
contributed to the Philadelphia Times, \ 
associated the trip made by these two men 
with the rapid passage of Ewell's wagon 
train through this place. I wrote then 



94- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



from memory, but now in possession of re- 
liable data, and correct whatever errors I 
may have made in that communication. 
Tlie precise time when these two persons 
left Chambersburg for the CJapital was 
Sunday morning, June 28th. The nature 
of the message which they carried I can- 
not certainly state. If the reader will re- 
fer to the occurrences of Saturday, 27th, 
as detailed in a previous chapter, he will 
see that on that day two of Hill's 
Corps — Pender's and Anderson's — passed 
through town, and followed Heth's out to- 
wards Gettysburg. My impression is tliat 
the information which these men carried 
was the direction these two divisions took 
as a confirmation of the inference drawn 
from the course taken by Heth's division 
and Lee's osvn following in the same di- 
rection. At all events the information 
they carried was deemed so important by 
both Judge Kimmell and myself that we 
made an eflort on Saturday evening, and 
up as late as ten o'clock that night, to pro- 
cure some one to convey it to Harrisburg. 
The best we could do was to secure the serv- 
icesofMessrs. Holler and Kinney for the en- 
suing morning, as Mr. Holler deemed it too 
great a risk to attempt to pass through the 
enemy's lines in the night. That! have not 
erred in either the time of the departure 
of these men, or in stating the circumstan- 
ces, will appear in the subjoined note : 

Mk. Hoke: — 8h- : — It was on the Sunday 
morning before the battle of (letty.sburjj; that I 
started from Chamltersburg to pilot ]\ir. Kin- 
ney to Eoxbury on his Avay to Harrisburg. 
Yon fame to me at a late hour tlie luglit previ- 
ous and (hisired me to pilot Mr. Kinney, but \ 
declined to go until morning. I conducted Mr. 
Kinney to lloxbury, and then left him to i)ur- 
sue his journey. " AVliat the information we 
carried was has escaiied my memory. 

Anthony Hollek. 

Mr. Holler gives the following account 
of their journey to Roxbury. Before start- 
ing he and Mr. Kinney agreed upon a 
statement to make in caseof their capture. 
Tying in a handkercliief a number of soiled 
shirts and other articles of wearing apparel 
they decided to show these to the rebels 
and tell them they were school teachers go- 
ing home to get their clothes washed. Mr. 
Kinney was a teacher in the Chambersburg 
Academy, and Mr. Holler's home had for- 
merly been in the direction they were to 
go. Leaving Chambersburg early in the 
morning, they passed up along the bank 
of the Conococheague, on the line where 
the Baltimore and Cumberland Valley 
railroad now runs, and out over the hills 
above Heyser's paper mill. They were ar- 
rested three times before reaching Pleasant 
Hall, and to avoid detection in case they 
were searched, destroyed their dispatches. 
Their ruse about their soiled linen suc- 



ceeded admirably, and when questioned 
closely, they maintained their composure 
and adhered to their story. Upon reacli- 
ing Koxbury Mr. Holler returned, leaving 
Mr. Kinney to go on his journey. 

Tliat Mr. Kinney pursued his journey, 
and duly reached Harrisburg and deliver- 
ed Ills messatre, will appear in the follow- 
ing statement furnished me by Mr. A. M. 
Criswell, wlio saw Mr. Kinney in Har- 
risburg on the following day : 

Mk. .1. Hokk :— T .sawMr. Kinney atthe U. S. 
hotel, Harrisburg, during the afternoon of Mon- 
day, 29tli of .June. 1 asked him to give me a 
little of his experience witli the rebels, and he 
told me substantially as follows : "I got from 
a friend in Gettysburg an old blind horse, a well- 
worn buggy and some soiled linen wliich I tied 
in .a handkercliief and placed under the seat 
and started for Chambei'sbnrg, intending to 
represent myself as a school teacher on his way 
home. After entering the rebel lines, I was 
halted frequently and my horse examined, but 
when his blindness was discovered they said 
they had no use for him, and I was permitted 
to i)ass. >iear Fayetteville a rebel ofti(>er sto]i- 
l>ed me and very politely asked leave to ride 
with me to Chambersburg. When we reached 
^lessersmith's woods I stopjied a moment, and 
th(! oi'ticer pointed out General Lee, who was 
seated in front of his tent looking over some 
papers. Arri\ingat Chambersburg, I turned 
over the horse and buggy to a friend, obtained 
some very important information and 'started 
on foot for the P. 11. II. Was arrested twice by 
the llebs., T)ut representing myself as a school 
teacher, on my way home, I got oft' ea.sily. On 
reaching the ITnion lines I was arrested, and 
my statement that I had important information 
for Governor Curtin was not accepted, but at 
my earnest request the otticer in command jn-o- 
curedan engine on the P. It. It. and sent me 
under guard of two .soldiers, to Harrisburg. < )n 
entering Governor Curtin's room, I was recog- 
nized by Col. M'Clure, and delivered my mes- 
.sage to Governor Curtin and M'Clurti private- 
ly. After which I saw my guard still stand- 
ing at the door, and I asked them if they now 
thought the country safe. One reijlied, you are 
all right, and we have but done our duty. 

A. M. CUISWELL. 

One other important occasion when a 
messenger was dispatched to Harrisburg 
was : 

3. The rapid passage of EwelVs wagon 
train from down the valley and out to- 
ivards Oettysburg. 

Some time in the nightof Monday, June 
29th, I was awakened by my wife, and 
told to come to the window as some im- 
portant movement was going on among 
the rebels. Peering cautiously through the 
half-closed shutters, I saw a continuous 
stream of wagons passing hurriedly 
through the town. They werecomingup 
from the direction of Harrisburg, passing 
up Main street to the Diamond and then 
turning east towards Gettysburg. They 



Reminiscences of the War. 



95 



seemed to be driven in liaste, and the 
movement clearly indicated a concentra- 
tion of the Confederate forces in an east- 
ern direction. A low, rumblinej noise 
could be lieard as if the whole valley were 
filled with moving trains. 

It has since been learned that this train 
was Gen. EvvelTs, which had passed 
through the town on down towards Har- 
risburg, and then was returning and con- 
centrating at Gettysburg. It has been also 
shown that this train was fourteen miles 
in length, and that only a part of it pass- 
ed back through town, the balance of it 
crossing from Shippensburg along the base 
of the South Mountain, and coming out 
into the Gettysburg pike near Fayetteville 
or Greenwood. That part of the train 
which passed by that route was accompa- 
nied by Johnson's division of Ewell's 
Corps — Rhode's division crossed directly 
from Carlisle to Heidlersburg, where, on 
the evening of the same day — Tuesday — it 
was joined by Early's division from York. 

Whatever difficulty there may be in har- 
monizing the contradictory statements be- 
tween the time fixed for the arrival of 
Lonirstreet's scout by Longstreet and Lee, 
there can be no (juestion as to the time 
when this wagon train moved. Generals 
Ijongstreet and M'Laws, and Dr. Cullen, 
Medical Director of Longstreet'sCorj^s, fix 
the time of its passage from Fayetteville 
to Gettysburg as Tuesday, June 3(1. (An- 
nals of War, pages 439, 440.) 

The importance of forwarding informa- 
tion of this concentration towards Gettys- 
burg to the authorities at Harrisburg was 
evident, and sometime in the early morn- 
ing Judge Kimmell secured the services of 
Mr. >Stei)hen W. Pomeroy (now Rev. S. 
W. Pomeroy, pastor of ISit. Union Pres- 
byterian churcli), to convey a message. 
That it was upon this occasion that JNIr. 
Pomeroy was .sent will undoubtedly ap- 
pear from the following note from Judge 
Kimmell : 

At the request of Governor (."lutiii iiiid o(li- 
ers, I assumed the manageiuent of matters at 
Chambersburg during the raids and invasions 
of the Confederate army, and as such I had 
Judge Paxton and C. Stouffer to keep account 
of Lee's forces each day as they passed through 
the town, and a good number of iiersons car- 
ried the result to the Pennsylvania Kailroad. 
At the time that Pomeroy ran out, the whole of 
the heavy baggage and artillery trains of Lee's 
army that had passed over the turnpike to- 
wards Harrisburg came back again through 
the town on the double quick and took the road ti > 
Gettysburg, which satisfied everyone that the 
array was making for that point, and we knew 
this fact to be of the utmost importance to the 
government, and therefore the dispatch was 
sent. F. M. Kimmell. 

Rev. Mr. Pomeroy has given the cir- 



cumstances of his trip in an interesting 
letter to Governor Curtin, and as it is de- 
sirable to preserve all such facts, I subjoin 
here that statement : 

Mount Union, Pa., Nov. 13, 188:5. 

Hon. a. G. Cuktin — Bear Sir : In compli- 
ance with your request, I send you the account 
of how I came to send you the telegram of the 
concentration or the Confederate army at Get- 
tysburg during the war. After being discharg- 
c<l from the nine months' service of tlie Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers, 1 happened to be liome, at 
my father's — Judge Poraeroy, of Roxbury, 
Franklin county — when the enemy were 
marching down the Cumberland Valley. 
There was, of course, great excitement, for the 
enemy were at our doors and taking what they 
would. Farmers hid their horses and other 
stock in the mountains, as far as possible. 
One day three hundred cavalry marched into 
lloxbury. "When we learned of their coming 
ten of tiie men who liad been out in the nine; 
months' service armed ourselves as best we 
could and went out to intercept them ; but the 
odds were too great, so we retired. Anxious 
to hear the news and render what ser\'ice we 
might to our country, a number of us walked 
to Chambersburg, a distance of fourteen miles, 
reaching there in the afternoon. That night 
the rebels wen; concentrated at Gettysburg. 
Next morning Judge F. M. Kimmell, with 
whom my father sat as Associate Judge, learn- 
etl that a son of Thomas Pomeroy was in town. 
He S(!nti for me to come to him at once. I 
found tlie .Judge on the sti'eet that leads to Mc- 
Conuellsburg, a short distance from the Frank- 
lin Hotel, where the Central Presbyterian 
Church now stands. As the town was full of 
rebels and a rebel had his beat near us, the 
-fudge asked me in a low tone if I was a son of 
.fudge Pomeroy. I replied in tlie affirmative. 
With ajiparent unconcern, he asked me to fol- 
low him. f did so and lie led me into a little 
dark back room and told me that the reljels 
were concentrating at Gettysburg and Gover- 
nor Curtin diil not know it. He said it was of 
the utmost importance that the Governor 
should know at the earliest possible moment 
and asked me if 1 would take a telegram to 
the nearest point on tlie Pennsylvania railroad 
and send it to him. He added: "It is of infi- 
ll it <* importance to him and to our country." I 
replied that 1 would try it. The telegram was 
already written, so he cut a hole in the buckle 
strap of my pantaloons and dei^osited the tele- 
gram to be sent there and said : "Get this safe- 
ly and in the shortest time possible to the Gov- 
ernor." Assuming indifference, I came to the 
street and met the rebel guard, who did not 
tlisturb me. Some of those who came with me 
wishing to return to Roxlmry, we set out 
together. 

We met many at the edge of the town, re- 
turning, who could not get through the guard, 
who were stationed around the town. 

Coming to the forks of the Strasburg and 
Iloxbury roads we found both cavalry and in- 
fantry. On the left there was a slight hollow, 
also several wheat tields, and beyond these 
there were woods. This was the only way to 
hope for escape. At mj' proposal we crept 
along this hollow, at the end of which there 



69 



Ranini sconces of the War 



•\Viis souk; wiiciit fields ; ■\vc' kc2)t tlieso bet.\vc(>u 
ns :iinl the guard lill we r*'aehcd the woods. 
When gcittiiig over the fence into the woods we 
were seen hy the enciniy. They ealled, rode 
after ns and leveled their muskets at ns, but 
we ran on, and as they did not tire or follow 
far we escaped. Still fearing capture we ke])t 
to tilt! ti(dds. T>ef()re wo reached Strashnrg all 
had fallen behind bnt one. We must have 
walked aliout seventeen miles before; w(! got to 
lloxbnry. As the horses were hid in the 
mountains 1 was in dread lest 1 should not get 
a horse, bnt 1 nn-t INIr. Tj. S. Sentman riding 
into town to get feed for his horstis in the 
Jiionntaius. Telling him of the message 1 w as 
carrying he gave me his horse. Informing my 
father of my errand 1 set out on my trip at 
once. It was aliont noon. The mountain road 
to Aniberson N'alley was, I knew, bUx'kaded 
with trees to ])revent the marauders from en- 
tering the valley to steal horses. On this 
aecoiiut J crossed the mountain into Ambersoii 
\'alley liy a. footpath, then anothtn- mountain 
into Patli Valley. Heaching my uncle's, AV. 
li. I'omeroy, at Concord, and telling him my 
business he got me another horse. Tlie Barrens 
below Concord, were blockaded by citizens of 
Tusearora Valley, many of whom knew me. 
The report having reached them that I was 
killed while; trying to hinder the rebels from 
entering Koxbury, the obstacles and excitement 
of my friends at tiuding me aliA-e lundered me 
about ten minutes. Free from them, I hast- 
ened down the Tusearora Valley as fast as my 
horse could carry me. At Bealtowu Mr. Beal, 
now the Kev. I). J. Beal, speedily got me a 
fresh horse. W^hen I reached Silas E. Smith's 
I did these two things, got lunch and proved to 
the future Mrs. Pomeroy that I was not dead, 
as she sujiposed, but good for many years to 
come. From tnence I rode to my uncle's, 
Joseph Pomeroy, at Academia, found them 
likewise mourning my sujiposed death, and he 
supplied another horse, the fastest he had. 
That carried me to within a mile of my desti- 
nation, when a soldier on guai'd called. Halt ! 
I told the sergeant on guard my mission and 
requested one of the guard to go with me, that 
I might get the telegram off to Harrisburg in 
the shortest time possible. 

Getting on the horse behind me we rode in a 
few minutes to the otitice. Finding the opera- 
tor, he cut the telegram out of the strap of my 
pantaloons and sent it at once to you. The ex- 
citement and journey being over, and the tele- 
gram being off to you, 1 liegan to look at the 
time and found it about midnighr. I had 
walked that day about seventeen miles and 
ridden about forty-one miles. Anxious as I 
was about the critical state of the country, J 
was so tired I had to seek the house of my kins- 
man, Major J. M. Pomeroy, in Perryville, now 
Port Royal, for rest. 

The above is the histoi-y of that telegram, 
that, I believe, first gave you notice of the con- 
centration of the rebel troops at Gettysbui-g, 
just before the fiimous battle in that place, 
liespectfully yours, 

Stephen W. Pomeroy. 

It will be seen from Mr. Pomeroy's 
statement that he reached the telegraph 
station at Port Boyal about •midnight. 



That would be about twelveo'cloek on tlio 
night of Tuesday, June .toth. Presuming 
that no time was lo-<t in forwarding this 
despatch from Port Royal, and that eeiual 
promptness was made at Harrisburg in 
forwarding the important information it 
contained to the authorities at Washing- 
ton, it is but fair to suppose that the fact 
of this concentration of Lee's forces was 
made known at (Jeneral Meade's head- 
(juarters some time during that same 
night. Is there any evidence of the recep- 
tion at that place of this information ? 
Col. James G. Biddle furnishes an answer 
to this question in his contribution to the 
Annals of the W(u% page 2S. Colonel Bid- 
die says : '•'■On the nif/ht of the SOth, after 
the Army of the I^otomac had made two 
days' marches, Qcncrul Meade heard that 
Lee ivas coneentrating hix arnii/ to meet 
him." There were other ways by which 
the knowledge of this falling back of Lee's 
forces and their concentration east of the 
South Mountain, might be conveyed to 
General Meade, but it is fair to suppose 
that the information of this movement 
referred to by Col. Biddle, was conveyed 
from Chambersburg by Mr. Pomeroy. 
This honor is freely conceded to him, and 
in no case has it been claimed for any oth- 
er. In a communication by the writer to 
the Philadelphia l''inies,ia December last, 
it was claimed that while Mr. Pomeroy 
carried the information of this rapid con- 
centration of Ewell's wagon train, there 
had been other information taken to Har- 
risburg previous to that which would lead 
the authorities to suspect that the real 
point of attack was east of the mguntain. 
A correspondent of that paper, in a subse- 
quent issue, backed liy a letter from Ex- 
Governor Curtin, defends Mr. Pomeroy as 
if his claim was in question, thus entirely 
misapprehending my meaning. And, 
now, that other reliable information, such 
as would prove of value to the authorities 
in determining the real point of danger, 
and information upon which they acted, 
was carried to Harrisburg prior to the trip 
made by Mr. Pomeroy, will appear in the 
following: It is fixed beyond question 
that the information taken by Mr. Pome- 
roy could not, and did not, reach General 
Meade before .some time in the night of 
Tuesday, June 30th. On Saturday morn- 
ing previously Mr. Benjamin S. Huber 
reached Harrisburg and informed the 
authorities that on the preceding day 
Heth's division of Hill's corps, instead of 
following Ewell's two divisions down the 
valley towards Harrisburg, had turned 
east towards Gettysburg, and that Lee and 
his staflt' had also gone in the same direc- 
tion. On JNIonday morning Mr. Kinney 
communicated the fact that the two re- 
maining divisions of the same Corps had 



Reminiscences of the War. 



97 



f()ll()we«l the lirst in the sivme direction. 
On Sunday evening the camp fires of the 
advance of Heth's division were seen from 
Gettysburg above Cashtown ; and on 
ISIonday evening it was seen tliat these 
encampments at that place were largely 
increased. Then is it to be supposed that 
tl)e people of Carlisle and York were so 
delinquent in patriotism as to fail to detect 
and report the departure of Rhodes' and 
Earlj''s divisions and their march south- 
ward V This movement, be it remember- 
ed, began on Tuesday morning, about the 
time Mr. Pomeroy left Chambersburg for 
Harrisburg, and was at least sixteen hours 
l>efore he reached Port lloyal. That in- 
formation of the dei)arture of Rhodes' 
division from Carlisle, and its marching 
across the South Mountain towards Get- 
tysburg, was in possession of the authori- 
ties at Harrisburg six hours before Mr. 
I'omeroy's despatch could be received, is 
clearly established by the annexed note : 

]Mk. J. Hoke, Sir : <>ii the day Kliuiles' divi- 
sion fell back from Carlisle, towards Gettys- 
burg, I was in the rebel lines in the rebel uni- 
form I captured from one of Jenkins' men at 
Chambersburg, and seeing the movement 
southward I reported the same to the authori- 
ties at Harrisburg about six o'clock the same 
evening. 

John A. Seideks. 

With all these facts before us, was not 
Governor Curtin unfortunate in putting 
himself upon record in the following 
letter : 

"Washington, 11th December, 188:i. 
"My Dear Sir : Your despatch was the tirst 
authentic information T received of the concen- 
tration of the army of General Lee on Gettys- 
burg and, treating it as true, acted on it. 
Yours truly, 

A. G. Curtin. 
Key. S. W. Pomeroy." 

It might be of interest to place upon 
record here the following extract of a let- 
ter, written by Mr. Thomas H. McDowell, 
to his father, Mr. W. H. McDowell, of this 
place. Mr. McDowell formerly' resided in 
Chambersburg, and, in addition to the in- 
teresting facts touching the scouting ser- 
vice which he relates, his letter will show 
the feeling of the many noble and patriotic 
young men who risked their lives in car- 
rying important information of the move- 
ment of the rebels to Harrisburg, but 
whose services seem to be entirely ignored. 
Mr. McDowell says : "I have read the 
letters of Rev. Pomeroy and J. Hoke con- 
cerning the carrying of the news of Lee's 
army concentrating at Gettysburg ; as 
also the article after the death of George 
R. Messersmith of his counting the troops 
ot Lee by dropping a grain of corn in his 
pocket for every hundred. These state- 
ments may all be true. Each of them 



may have done just what they claim ; 
but it is not the way soldiers would have 
done it. General Couch who was at that 
time in command of the Department of 
the Susquehanna, would never have acted 
on a wandering despatch, unsigned, and 
not knowing whether it came from friend 
or foe. I say I do not know what the 
|)arties above named did do, but one thing 
1 do know, that when Jjee's army passed 
through Chambersburg two young men 
were bu.sy counting the cavalry and in- 
fantry, and taking the number and calibre 
of their guns. And after the conference 
in the Diamond, spoken of in the article 
of Mr. Hoke in the Philadelphia Tiiiioi, 
when it was l)elieved that Lee's army was 
moving on Baltimore, those two young 
men drew lots to decide which one was to 
go to Harrisburg, and which was to re- 
main inside the enemy's lines. The trip 
to Harrisburg fell to the lot of J. Porter 
Brown, and mine was to stay in Cham- 
bersburg. Porter started, and before going 
far fell in with John Rodgers, and these 
two crossed the mountains to New Bloom- 
field in Perry county, where they met 
Col. Speakman who commanded the 138d 
Regiment in our Division, to whom they 
gave their news, and Col. Speakman tele- 
graphed it to General Couch, informing 
him in the same despatch that his inform- 
ant would be down on the next train. 
Col. Speakman furnished them convey- 
ance to the Pennsylvania Railroad, and 
when they arrived at Harrisburg they 
met Col. A. K. McClure, who went with 
them to General Couch's headquarters, 
telling them that he would vouch for the 
truth of any statement Porter might 
make. Porter then pulled of his old boots 
prepared for the purpose, containing the 
number of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, 
with the number and calibre of the guns, 
and also the information that the army 
was heading towards Baltimore. This is 
the information that I believe General 
Couch acted upon, for turning to his chief 
of staff he remarked that if they had come 
on, the little earthworks and the few 
thousand militia he had would have been 
of little account. 1 do not think that a 
General of the experience of General 
Couch would act on a telegram unsigned, 
unless he had some corroborating testi- 
mony. I would wager my head that 
General Couch could resurrect from among 
his old papers the very paper which Por- 
ter Brown gave him, or at least the mem- 
orandum made by his chief of staflt'at the 
time." 

But if Governor Curtin had not been 
put in possession of sufficient information 
concerning the movements of the'.Confed- 
erates, so as to point to the place of danger, 
until midnight of Tuesday, 30th, when 



98 



Reminiscences of the War. 



Mr. Pomeroy's despatch was received, let 
us turn our eyes to tbe Army of the Poto- 
mac and see if those who directed it were 
in this ignorance. Hon. Edward Everett 
in his address at tlie dedication of the 
Soldiers' National Cemetery, in Novem- 
ber, 181)3, says that the Federal army, 
after crossing the Potomac the day after 
the last of the Confederates crossed, took a 
position from Harper's Ferry to Frederick, 
so as to cover Washington and Baltimore 
from a flank movement by Lee, or march 
to any point where he might show himself. 
On Sunday, the 2Sth, that army, having 
abandoned its defensive position, and as- 
sumed an aggressive one, marched through 
Frederick, from that place diverging by 
diflerent roads, but all tending in one gen- 
eral direction, and finally converging at 
Gettysburg. And so rapid were the 
movements of these various corps, and so 
defined their objective, that by Tuesday 
evening Reynolds and Howard with the 
First and Eleventh Corps, having the 
shortest lines of march, encamped within 
four miles of Gettysburg, and the next 
morning marched into the town and began 
the battle of the first day, the other corps 
being so near that they nearly all reached 
the field that night or the next morning. 
My authorities for these facts are the fol- 
lowing : Charles Carleton Coffin, who was 
with the Army of the Potomac on this 
march, in his"T/«' Boyi^ o/' i.sv;y," says, 
"All day Sunday the army was passing 
through Frederick.' Hon. Edward Ev- 
erett, in his address at Gettysburg, says 
that notwithstanding the change in com- 
manders on Sunday at Frederick, "not an 
hour's hesitation ensued in the advance of 
the army." Col. Biddle in Annals of the 
War, page 208, says that "On the night of 
the 30th (Tuesday) after the Army of the 
Potomac had made tivo days' marches^ 
General Meade heard that Lee was con- 
centrating his army to meet him." Gen- 
eral Pleasanton in the same book, page 
453, says, "The Army of the Potomac was 
in motion by the 28th of June (Sunday), 
moving northward from Frederick." Is 
it to be supposed that General Hooker 
would depart from the policy he had 
adopted to maintain his position for the 
defense of the Capitol without positive in- 
formation that Washington was not the 
point of attack, but some other point 
northward ? One of the authors just 
quoted— Coffin — says on page 260 of his 
book, that "General Hooker waited in 
front of Washington till he was certain of 
Lee's intentions, and then by a rapid 
march pushed on to Frederick." And 
would General Meade, when he succeeded 
General Hooker in command at Frederick, 
take up the same policy and pursue it so 
vigorously, if ignorant of the real point of 
attack ? 



Thus it will be seen that the Command- 
der of the Union army was in possession 
of sufficient information of Lee's objective 
to justify him in abandoning his defensive 
policy about Washington, and marching 
toward Gettysburg, at least four days 
before the information carried by Mr. 
Pomeroy was received at army headquar- 
ters. More than this, two Corps of that 
army in pursuance of the policy adopted 
by General Hooker, and taken up and 
continued by General Meade, when he 
succeeded him, were within four miles of 
Gettysburg on the evening of Tuesday, 
and other Corps close at hand, at least 
six hours before Mr. Pomeroy's message 
was delivered. Professor Jacobs in his 
Battle of Gettysburg, page 23, says that on 
the evening of Tuesday "there encamped 
that night within a short distance of our 
town (Gettysburg) 23,000 Union infantry 
and 6,000 cavalry, and 76,000 Rebel infan- 
try and a large number of cavalry, ready 
to meet each other in deadly conflict on 
the next day." Professor Jacobs overes- 
timated the number of men present in 
both armies, but the fact he states of the 
presence of a large force of both Federals 
and Confederates, six to ten hours before 
Mr. Pomeroy reached Port Royal, demon- 
strates that it was not the information 
he carried to Harrisburg which caused 
this concentration of the Union army, but 
information previously received. Nor 
will it relieve the difficulty of establishing 
Mr. Pomeroy's claim to have carried the 
first information which caused the author- 
ities to march the Union army to Gettys- 
burg, to say that Lee only changed his 
purpose to march to that place instead of 
Harrisburg on Monday night, for on Mon- 
day but two divisions of his army were 
threatening the latter place, while six were 
either on the eastern side of the South 
Mountain, or marching in that direction. 

The services performed by the young 
men of Chambersburg and surrounding 
country in conveying information to the 
Capital of the State of the number and 
movements of the Confederates while pass- 
ing through this place on their way to 
Gettysburg, if all were gathered together 
and placed upon record, would make a 
volume of thrilling interest ; but as space 
forbids, and I am not in possession of even 
the names of all who performed this pa- 
triotic service, that record cannot be given. 
With no disposition to disparage the serv- 
ices rendered by any, but to place upon re- 
cord the services of the many, this chap- 
ter has been written. That these services 
were of immense value to the comman- 
ders of our armies, and perhaps were the 
means, under God, of the salvation of our 
country, will appear in the fact that after 
General Couch established his headquar- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



99 



ters here, a short time after the battle of 
Gettysburg, he declared to me the great 
value of the information sent him, and 
his willingness to amply reward each one 
who had made the perilous trips, subse- 



quently refunding to me what I had ad- 
vanced for travelling expenses to these 
men, and an additional sum amounting 
to ten dollars to each one for each trip. 



CHAPTER XII. 



Aftku the Battle of Gettysp.urg.— Early's Raid into Mahyland. 



On Friday, July 10th, after the battle 
of Gettysburg, General D. N. Couch, 
in command of the Department of the 
Susquehanna, reached this place and es- 
tablished his headquarters here. Follow- 
ing him from day to day, came regiment 
after regiment of newly enlisted men, un- 
der the call of the Governor, and known 
as "Emergency men." They were under 
command of General I3ana. These sol- 
diers passed through town and went south- 
ward toward the Potomac by the Green- 
castle and Warm Spring roads. Another 
division of these emergency men, under 
(ieneral Smith, passed from C^arlisle to- 
wards Pine Grove, some of whom turned 
west from the South Mountain and passetl 
through this place. After the Confeder- 
ates succeeded in recrossing the Potomac 
these troops returned toHarrisburg where 
they were disbanded. 

Among the first things which demand- 
ed the attention of General Couch, after 
his arrival here, was the sick and 
wounded rebels in the King street Hospit- 
al. There were about sixty of these, some 
being sick and left here by Lee on his way 
to (jettysburg, and others wounded at that 
battle and brought here by the wagon 
train referred to in a previous chapter. 
The sick left by General Lee were under 
the care of a steward— a young man from 
Staunton, Virginia, and after the battle of 
(iettysburg the hospital was under the 
care of Assistant Surgeon Gamble, of the 
Confederate service. When betook charge 
of the hospital, and how he got here, I 
am unable to tell. The physicians of this 
place frequently visited the hospital and 
rendered valuable assistance. Lip to the 
arrival of General Couch these sick and 
wounded were dependent upon our citi- 
zens. I stated in aprevious chapter thatjl 
engaged Mrs. Ritner to furnish the hospi- 
tal with bread each day, and that coltee 
and other needed articles were taken 
there by some of our citizens. I personal- 
ly solicited funds to aid in paying for the 
bread furnished, and the responses were 



uusally promptand willing. After the mil- 
itary authorities took charge of the hos- 
pital, the ladies of the town were unre- 
mitting in theirattentions to the suffering 
men, and delicacies not furnished by the 
army regulations were freely given them. 
Notunfrequently some of the soldiers were 
vi-sited by relations from Baltimore andoth- 
er places within our lines. These were al- 
ways permitted to enter the hospital un- 
der such regulations as the authorities 
deemed necessary to prevent the abuse of 
the privilege. In this respect Southern 
visitors to Northern liospitals fared differ- 
ently from Northern visitors to friends in 
the South. Among the wounded Confed- 
erates brought here from the field of Get- 
t\'sburg. was Colonel Benjamin F. Carter, 
of the 4th Texas Regiment. Colonel Car- 
ter had been a lawyer of prominence in 
Texas; he was severely wounded and died 
in the hospital on the 21st day of July. 
Some difficulty occurring as to the place of 
burial, his body was interred in Mr. Chas. 
Burnett's lot in the Methodist burial 
ground on South Second street. It has 
been, 1 think, subsequently removed. 

The writer was sent for one day to visit 
one of these wounded Confederates. If I 
mistake not he was the youthful soldier I 
have previously referred to ashaving his 
arm off near the shoulder. His case was 
critical, and he felt he was unprepared to 
die. He spoke of his pious mother and 
his father's counsels, and deeply regretted 
that he had not lived a different life. Poor 
fellow ; away from home and friends, his 
heart turned yearningly towards his motl^- 
er and his mother's God. 

Just here I will place upon record the 
following touching incident, for which I 
am indebted to Mrs. Nancy Hoover, wid- 
ow of the late George Hoover, of Stouf- 
ferstown. Mr. and Mrs. Hoover at the 
time of the war, resided two miles south of 
Waynesboro, on the road leading to Ha- 
gerstown. During the retreat of the reb- 
els, large numbers encamped in the fields 
around their house, and when they left 



lOO 



Remmiscences of the War 



many barrels of flour which they had ta- 
ken during the invasion, were thrown 
from their wagons and left in the fields. 
Many of the barrels bore the brand of Mr. 
Jacob StoufFer, a brother-in-law of Mr. 
Hoover, and had been taken from his mill 
near this place. On Monday, July iith, 
while a number of Confederate officers 
were seated at Mr. Hoover's table partak- 
ing of his hospitality, and discussing the 
great battle and pointing out the causes of 
their defeat and the mistakes they made, 
one of them took from his pocket a Testa- 
ment, and handing it around to his com- 
panions, said that he had taken it from 
the pocket of a dead Federal captain. 
Upon examining it one of them remark- 
ed, "This Testament contains a request 
within it, which should be observed." 
Upon examining the book and reading 
the request written therein Mrs. Hoover 
promised that if the book were left with her 
she would send it to the person designated 
in it. The officer who had the Testament 
gave his name as Lieut. K. W. Wood, of 
Georgia. He belonged to Benning's 
Brigade, Hood's division of Longstreet's 
Corps. The request, a copy of which Mrs. 
Hoover kept, was as follows : 

.June 21st, 18G3. 
In case I am killed and my body left on the 
field, the finder of this Testament wille please 
send it to my father, John Nicoll, Blooming 
Grove, Orange county, JS. York, and confer a 
great favor on me. 

Isaac Ntcoll, Capt. Co. G. 124th 
Eegt. N. Y. State. 

Shortly after the departure of these offi- 
cers, Mr. Hoover sent the Testament by 
mail to Mr. Nicoll, with a letter contain- 
ing the circumstances under which he be- 
came possessed of it. The following is a 
copy of Mr. Nicoll's acknowledgment, the 
original of which is now before me. 

Blooming Gkove, July 24th, 18(i:>. 
Mk. George Hoover. — Bear Sir : — The Tes- 
tament of my dear departed son, which yon 
<lid me the favor to send to me, came by due 
course of mail. It is a i)recious relic of a dear- 
ly loved and highly honored son. In looking 
over the its pages F discover memorandums of 
periods up to tlie day ])revious to his deatli, 
which were devoted (notwithstatuUng the long 
marches and fatigvie attending them) to its i)e- 
ru.sal. It is consoling to me to discover from 
scored passages that he was not an inattentive 
reader, tliat the great truths of revelation were 
accepted and impressed upon his mind. This 
Testament, conveyed by his own hand, in view 
of the iincertainty of life, and the necessity of 
prei)ai'.ation, constitutes to me its greatest val- 
iie. I have great reason to hoj)e that his de- 
parted spirit is now with his sainted mother 
who loved him so well on earth, there to enjoy 
with her an eternity of 1)1 iss. Y'ou can there- 
fore appreciate the value I place upon this 
book — the cherished companion (jf his weary 



inarches and lonely hours. As everything re- 
lating to my dear boy is interesting at this 
time, will you please inform me whether Lieut. 
"Wood made any other disclosures respecting 
the efl'ects he found upon the body of Caiitain 
Nicoll, and what disposition he calculated to 
make of them — in fact anything you heard or 
saw in your interview with him. 

On the eve of Captain Nicolls's departure 
with his regiment, which was raised in this 
county, the ladies of this town j)reseuted him 
with a handsome sword. It was not a formal 
presentation, simply accompanied with a let- 
ter. This was in the month of September last. 
If that sword could be recovered I would place 
a much higher value'upon it than its intrinsic 
worth. I have relatives living in Georgia, and 
if this uncalled for and wicked rebellion is put 
down, of which there is every prospect of its 
being speedily done, I intend to make an eftbrt 
to rescue it. 

My son was twenty-three years old at the time 
of his death ; was born in the city of New York. 
I purchased the farm I now occupy in 1843, 
which has been his home ever since, with the 
exception of two or three years he spent in the 
city engaged in the mercantile business. At 
the call of President Lincoln for three hun- 
dred thousand men, he at once responded by 
raising a company in this town. The regiment 
left, as I have before remarked, in September 
last. Since then he has been attached to the 
army of the Potomac ; was enga£;ed in the dis- 
astrous attack of Burnside on Frederickburg ; 
also with Hooker at Chancellorsville, in which 
he lost twenty-five out of sixty men he led into 
action. His regiment accompanied the cavalry 
attack at Aldie in which he lost some of his 
men. Gettysburg closed his military and mor- 
tal career. It was there he yielded his life, a 
youthful, willing gift upon the altar of liis 
country. He was pierced by three balls — one 
in his neck, one in his shoulder and one in his 
Itreast. He lived but three minutes after re- 
ceiving these injuries. The regiment was mak- 
ing a charge at tlie time, wasre]iulsed with the 
loss of its colonel and Major killed, and Lieut. 
Col. wounded, which .accounts for his body be- 
ing left on tht- field. The rebels had jios.session 
of it until the next day, when the ground was 
recovered. A brother officer found his body, 
buried where it fell, erected a board .at its heail 
with his name, regiment and company inscrib- 
ed upon it. I have had it since taken up, but 
owing tfi the Government monopolizing the 
transportation, it ])roved ineffectual, and we 
w(!re under the necessity of re-interring it un- 
til a more favorable oi)iiortunity oftei's for its 
removal. 

When I commenced this letter it w.as with 
the intention of simply, in suitable terms, to 
acknowledge the receipt of the book you had 
the kindness and heart to send me. My mind 
is constantly dwelling ujion my dear son — "out 
of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak- 
eth"— not always with discretion, as in this 
case, addressing a stranger. Bear Avith me, 
and believe me to be your greatly obliged 
friend. John Nicoll. 

Numerous touching incidents which oc- 
curred upon the field and in the hospitals 



Reminiscences of the War 



lOI 



might be given, but I proceed with my 
narrative. Sometime in the summer of 
1868, George Eyster, Esq., then a resident 
of this place, was appointed Provost Mar- 
shall for the district comprising the coun- 
ties of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton, Adams 
and Franklin, His headquarters were es- 
tablished at this place, and large numbers 
of persons were drawn here forenlistment 
or by drafting, so that during the winter 
of 1863-4 Chambersburg and its vicinity 
were swarming with soldiers. These were 
organized into companies and regiments, 
and in the spring were sent away to rein- 
force the armies in the field for the great 
struggle they were about to enter upon. 

In all the history of the war, except on 
such occasions as when our own immedi- 
ate vicinity was threatened, we never wit- 
nessed more intense and widespread solic- 
itude and anxiety than were manifested in 
Chambersburg from Thursday, May 5th, 
to tlie evening of Sunday, the Kth, 1864. It 
was announced on Thursday tluit the long 
expected campaign in eastern Virginia had 
begun, that General (Irant with his mag- 
nificent army had crossed the Kapidau on 
the evening of Tuesday previous, and that 
a fierce and terrible battle had been fought 
or was yet in progress, but we were left in 
ignorance as to the results. The hopes of 
the nation rested upon that army, and the 
campaign upon which it entered. The 
fact that the destiny of the government 
seemed to be at stake in the mighty strug- 
gle, was felt and acknowledged by all, and 
the very uncertainly as to the result in- 
creased and intensified the general anxie- 
ty. Men hurried to the bulletin boards 
with rapid strides and anxious countenan- 
ces, and when the meagre and unsatisfac- 
tory dispatches were read, would tarry to 
discuss the situation and speculate as to 
the probable result. On Friday morning 
the dispatches simply told that the fearful 
conflict had commenced ; but beyond stat- 
ing that the battle raged furiously, and 
that the loss on both sides was heavy, no 
intimation was given as to which side was 
victorious. As the hours of the flay drag- 
ged along the throng around the l)ulletiiis 
increased, and all seemed absorbed in the 
one great (|uestion — the safety — the life of 
the Republic. Business was practically 
suspended, for how could we work when 
the Nation — the Government, we loved so 
well, and around which our hopes cluster- 
ed, was suspended in the balance ? 

On Saturday the telegraph was still si- 
lent as to the issue of the battle. Sensa- 
tional reports came along the lines occa- 
sionally, but they were but speculations 
and rumors. In the afternoon a dispatch 
came stating that the l)attle field and the 
dead and wounded of the enemy were 
within the Union lines, and that the Con- 



federates had fallen back, but it was unof- 
ficial. Sunday morning came and yet no 
news until about eleven o'clock a private 
dispatch announced that there were ru- 
mors floating around in Washington, but 
they were conflicting and unreliable. The 
people gathered into groups and discussed 
the probable issue. The fact that no defi- 
nite information had been received since 
the morning of Friday, aroused the great- 
est of fears. But in the afternoon the un- 
certainty was measurably dispelled. A 
dispatch was received which stated that 
General Grant had driven the rebels after 
a terrible engagement ; that he had 13,000 
of their dead and wounded on his hands, 
and that Lee was retreating and Grant 
pursuing. At the reception of this news 
the people were greatly relieved and en- 
couraged, but there was still too much in- 
definiteness and uncertainty for any out- 
bursts of joy and rejoicing. The fact that 
the Confederates were falling back and the 
Federals pursuing, indicated that the ad- 
vantages were upon the side of the Union 
army, bui. the fearful loss of life and the 
yet undecided struggle yet caused uneasi- 
ness and concern. 

There was one day in particular during 
this anxious period when the excitement 
rose to such a pitch that by almost unan- 
imous consent all business was suspended 
and the people gathered in and about the 
Diamond of the town. It was the day 
when the terrible battle of Spotsylvania 
was fought. We all knew from the des- 
patches which were flashing along the 
wires and posted upon the bulletins, that 
the terrific strife was in progress. In fact 
it seemed that the blows that were being 
struck there upon the brave defenders of^ 
the Union were felt by the entire 
l>eople. Despatch after despatch was re- 
ceived announcing the progress of the 
great battle. At length a bulletin was 
jmsted announcing that General Hancock 
had captured General Johnson and four 
thousand prisoners and thirty-six guns. 
This was soon followed by another saying 
that it was reported that l^ee had surren- 
dered. These two despatches threw our 
people into ecstacies and a scene of the 
wildest excitement ensued. The band 
turned out and played several patriotic 
airs, and the people shouted forth their 
glad exultation. In a short time this last 
despatch was contradicted. Thus day 
after day word was received of the terrible 
struggle going on, until at length it was 
announced that (General Grant had forced 
the Confederates into their entrenchments 
about Richmond, and he had crossed the 
James river and besieged Petersburg. 
The theatre of war was now widely sepa- 
ted from us, awl we supposed we had seen 
the last of invasions and raids. In this, 



I02 



Reminiscences of the War 



however, we were doomed to disapvioint- 
ment, for the culmination of our disasters 
and troubles was about to fall upon us, as 
the sequel will show. 

On the morning of Sunday, July 3d, 
rumors of disaster to the Union forces in 
the valley about Martinsburg were afloat. 
General Sigel was reported to have been 
driven across the Potomac, and rebel cav- 
alry were threatening to cross and ravage 
our borders once more. Once again we 
set to work to pack, ship away and secrete 
our merchandize. During the following 
day, July 4th, the farmers residing in the 
southern part of the county again took 
their stock through our town and down 
the valley to places of safety. The occa- 
sion of this new and unexpected danger 
was as follows : General Grant had order- 
ed General Hunter, who had succeeded 
General Sigel in the Shenandoah, to pro- 
ceed up the valley to Staunton and Gor- 
donsville and thence to Lynchburg, live 
upon the country as he marched, destroy 
the railroads, and, if possible, the James 
river canal. Accomplishing this, he was 
to return to Gordonsville and thence join 
Grant. General Sheridan was sent with 
his cavalry to join him at the latter place 
and assist in the work of destruction. At 
the same time Generals Crook and Averill, 
leaving Western Virginia, met Hunter 
near Staunton, where they had a battle 
with the rebels under General Jones, who 
was killed and his forces routed, with a 
loss of three guns and fifteen hundred 
prisoners. Hunter, instead of approach- 
ing Lynchburg by Gordonsville and Char- 
lottsville as directed by Grant, took the 
road leading through Lexington and thus 
missed Sheridan, who, failing to find him 
there, returned to the White House, and 
rejoined Grant at Petersburg. Hunter 
reached Lynchburg on the Kith day of 
June. Lee, seeing the danger which 
threatened him in his rear, threw rein- 
forcements into Lynchburg, and Hunter 
was compelled to retreat. Having advanc- 
ed upon Lynchburg from tlie west, 
instead of from the north, as ordered, he 
was obliged to retreat in the same direc- 
tion by the Great Kanawha Valley 
through Western Virginia. This left the 
Shenandoah Valley open, for there was 
no force to oppose the rebels who were at 
Lynchburg. Lee was quick to seize upon 
this apportunity to send an army north- 
ward and threaten Washington, and there- 
by compel Grant to let go his hold upon 
Richmond and Petersburg, as well as to 
scour the country north of the Potomac for 
supplies. General Ewell was sick, and 
General Early was put in command of the 
rebel troops in the Valley. Breckenridge 
was sent up from Richmond to reinforce 
him. Early was atthe head of twenty-five 



or thirty thousand men. Mosby, with'bia 
band of guerillas, was in full possession of 
the knowledge of the situation, and report- 
ed the way clear to Washington, General 
Sigel only being in his way at Martins- 
burg. 

Early passed rapidly down the Valley, 
drove Sigel across the Potomac, and fol- 
lowed him to Hagerstown. The people of 
Western Maryland and Southern Penn- 
sylvania were thrown into great alarm. 
The panic was widespread. Extravagant 
stories were told of the force of the enemy; 
Lee's whole army was advancing; he had 
outgeneraled Grant ; Washington and 
Baltimore would be captured, etc. General 
({rant understood Lee's intentions. He 
held on to his position about Petersburg 
and Richmond, detaching only the Sixth 
Oorps to meet the enemy. Kickett's divi- 
sion was sent to Baltimore and the other 
two divisions to Washington. The Nine- 
teenth Oorps, which had just returned 
from the Gulf, was dispatched to Wash- 
ington. 

On Tuesday, July .5th, Governor ("urtin 
issued a call for troops to serve for one 
hundred days to defend our border, and 
also the National Capitol, which, it was 
seen, was in danger. To this call there 
was a ready and considerable response. 
The most of the troops were sent to 
Washington. 

On the same day the advance of the 
Confederate cavalry, which had crossed 
the Potomac into Maryland, drove the 
Union troops into Hagerstown, and on 
the afternoon of the following day, July 
(ith. General McCausland, who had suc- 
ceeded General Jenkins in the command 
of that body of cavalry — Jenkins having 
l)een wounded and died some time before 
—entered and occupied that place. 

The first invasion of Maryland, in 18(i2, 
was a political as well as a military 
movement. It was supposed by the rebel 
leaders that that State was ready to join 
the Confederacy, and that the people 
were held in subjection by military despot- 
ism. Accoi'dingly all pillage was strictly 
prohibited. The troops respected this 
order, and but few acts of destruction or 
spoliation took place. But in the second 
invasion, when Lee passed into Pennsyl- 
vania no favor was shown to Maryland, 
and in this raid, officers and soldiers pill- 
aged indiscriminfttely. Houses, stores, 
public and private buildings alike were 
sacked and destroyed. In accordance with 
this policy the rebels made the best of their 
opportunity. Their cavalry divided into 
small bodies and overran the country from 
Williamsport to Frederick, destroying the 
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, burning 
canal boats, seizing horses, cattle and sup- 
plies from farmers, ransacking houses. 



Reminiscences of the War. 



103 



luiil wmimittiug nil other acts of depreda- 
tion which fell within their power. 

Shortly after the Confederates had taken 
possession of Hagerstown, the authorities 
of that place were summoned to appear, 
when the following re(iuisition was laid 
before them : 

Hkaih^uakters ("avaluv Hkicadk, } 
Hagerstown, TNId.,, I Illy ()tb, 18tJ4. \ 
General Oudek. 

1. Ill iiCL-orilaiicc with the instructions of 
Lieut. Geuonil Early, a levy of ($20,000) 
Twenty Thousand Dollars is made upon the 
inhabitants of this city, tlie space of three hours 
is allowed for the payment of this sum in U. S. 
Funds. 

2. A requisition is also made for all Gov- 
ernment Stores. 

o. The following articles will also be fur- 
nished from the Merchandize now in the hands 
of the Citizens or Merchants — viz — 1,500 suits 
of Clothes, 1,.500 Hats, 1,500 pairs Shoes or 
Boots, 1,500 Shirts, 1,500 pairs Drawers, 1,500 
pairs Socks : Four hours allowed for their 
collection. 

Tlie IMayor and Council are held respon.sible 
for tlie execution of this order, and in case of 
non-compliance, the usual penalty will be 
enforced upon the city. 

John McCai'sland, 
Brig. Gen. C. S. A. 

Upon the reception of this Order, a town 
meeting was called in the Court House, 
and after some discussion, it was decided 
that the Council should raise the money 
and as much of theclothing as they could. 
The money was soon raised, but it was 
found that it would be impossible to fur- 
nish the clothing. Additional time was 
asked in which to raise it, but McCausland 
was deaf to any appeal, and swore bitterly 
that if his demand was not complied with 
within the time specified, his threat 
would be carried out to the letter. At 
length when he saw there was a disposi- 
tion to do what they could, the time was 
lengthened two hours, telling the citizens 
that if the demand was not complied with 
they knew what they might expect. He 
then marched a regiment of troops into 
the town and stationed them in front of 
the Court House, evidently with the pur- 
pose of intimidating the citizens, or to 
carry out his threat of burning the town 
in case the money and goods were not de- 
livered within the time specified. After 
making every possible effort it was found 
that but a portion of the clothing could be 
collected. This was taken to the Court 
Hou3e, and the fact of its deficiency made 
known to McCausland who swore most 
profanely what he would do if the whole 
was not forthcoming. He then told the 
citizens that he would give them a half 
hour to get the women and children out of 
the town before he would give the order 
to fire it. At length when he saw that 



the citizens had (lone the best they could, 
and that they could do no more, McCaus- 
land agreed to receive what they brought, 
when the following paper was given 
them : 

"The town of Hager.stown having complied 
with the foregoing requisition, by paying in 
cash Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000) and 
;uul having also furnished the specified articles 
thcrcnn mentioned to the utmost of their aljili- 
ty, as 1 hereby certify to the fact, and place 
tiic town under the protection of the Confeder- 
ate forces, releasing the citizens and their 
property from further contributious and 
agreeing to .shield both from further require- 
ments. -JNO. MC'('AU.SLANI), 
Brig. Gen. C. S. A. 

Memonnidum of Articles Ftirnished 



Coats 24.S 

rants 20;5 

Drawers 132 

H ose 737 

Boots 99 

Shoes 123 

J 



Hats «30 

Shirts 225 

Piece goods, 1373^ yds. 
Clothing, 70 pieces, 
Assorted. 



Van Fossen, 
(Juarter Master. 

Detachments from McCausland's com- 
mand iiroceeded towards our border, and 
upon the evening of the same day that 
the foregoing requisition was made upon 
Hagerstown, Wednesday, 6th, telegraphic 
communication with Greencastle was for 
a time interrupted. Intense excitement 
prevailed throughout our town, and 
many of the citizens left to escape the 
threatened raid during that night. In 
the midst of the panic General Couch 
placed the town under martial law, and 
the citizens capable of bearing arms were 
called upon to assist the few military here 
in defending the place. The night, how- 
ever, passed quietly, and the enemy did 
not advance nearer than a mile or two 
beyond GreencasUe. 

On Thursday, 7th, the rebel infantry 
crossed the Potomac into Maryland at 
iShepherdstowu, and advanced eastwardly 
across the South Mountain ; and the cav- 
alry at Hagerstown and the detachments 
threatening our border, were withdrawn 
and followed in the same direction. 

On Saturday, the 9th, a battle was 
fought at the' Monocacy between Early 
and General I-ew Wallace. General 
Wallace was in command in Baltimore. 
He sent what troops he could collect to 
meet the advancing foe. With the excep- 
tion of Rickett's division of the Sixth 
Corps, which had been sent by General 
Grant from about Petersburg, Wallace's 
troops were men enlisted for one hundred 
days in response to the call of the govern- 
ment for the emergency, and some artiller- 
ists from the fortifications about Balti- 
more and invalids from the hospitals, in 
all not exceeding nine thousand. At- 
tacked at the Monocacy in overwhelming 



I04 



Reminiscences of tJie War. 



munbers, General Wallace succeeded in 
holding the enemy in check several 
hours, and was at length compelled to fall 
back upon Baltimore with the loss of 
about twelve hundred men. This defeat, 
and the stories of the magnitude of the 
rebel force, put Baltimore and Washing- 
ton in great excitement. 

On the day following the battle of Mo- 
nocacy Governor Curtin issued an address 
to the people of the State, setting forth 
the danger which threatened the National 
Capitol, and urging the people to turn out 
for its defense. This address was read by 
the i>astors of the churches at llarrisburg 
that evening and telegraphed all over the 
State. Ijarge numbers of volunteers en- 
listed for the emergency from our own 
and neighboring States, and hurried to 
Washington. 

On Monday, the 11th, the rebel cavalry 
were near Havre de (irace, at (lunpowder 
river, where they burned the bridge, cut 
the telegraph, captured trains, and robbed 
passengers, entirely severing Baltimore 
and Washington from the loyal North. 
Only Ave miles from Washington they 
burned the house of Governor Bradford, 
aud pillaged Montgomery Blair's. 

On Tuesday, the 12th, the rebel shari)- 
shooters were in front of Fort Stevens, 
one of the defenses of the Capitol, and 
after some desultory fighting they were 
driven off, leavingabout one hundred aead 
and wounded. Forces were gathering 
around Early, and on Wednesday morn- 
ing he hastily retreated, crossing the Po- 
tomac at Edward's Ferry, and made his 
way through Snicker's Gap, into the 
Shenandoah Valley, with an immense 
train of plunder, consisting of forage, 
grain , horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, groceries. 



clothing, etc. A reijuisition had been 
made ujion Frederick for two hundred 
thousand dollars, which, as in the case of 
Hagerstown, and afterwards Chambers- 
burg, was to be paid over at once or the 
city laid in ashes. The money was paid 
and the destruction of the place averted. 

On Tuesday, 19th, Generals Crook and 
Averill overtook Early in the Shenandoah 
Valley, and, after a brisk engagement, de- 
feated him. On Saturday, 2;!d, the forces 
of Breckenridge and Early were united, 
and attacked Crooks near Winchester, 
compelling him to retreat to Martinsburg. 
'i'he Union forces were pursued to this 
latter place, where, on Monday, 25th, they 
were reinforced by dteneral Hunter, who 
had brought around his army from the 
line of the Ohio river, whither they had 
gone in their retreat from Lynchburg. 
This retrograde movement of our forces, 
and the proximity of the rebels, created 
much uneasiness along the border and the 
work of sending away horses and cattle 
again began. In a few daj's the Union 
forces withdrew to the north bank of the 
Potomac, and were stationed along the 
river from Hancock to Harper's Ferry, 
the main body being located at the latter 
place. The Confederate army remained 
upon the south side of the river, with its 
main body near Martinsburg. Each 
army had cavalry stationed upon its 
flanks. McCauseland's cavalry was on 
the left of Early, and Averill somewhere 
on the opposite, upon the Federal right. 
This was the situation on Thursday, the 
2Sth of July, and on the following day the 
advance was made upon our town, which 
will claim our attention in the ensuing 
chanter. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



TiiK Bri:M.N(; oi' Cii a.mi'.i;i;M!1 1:0 



As has been stated in the previous chap- 
ter, the Confederate army under General 
Early lay about Martinsburg, and the de- 
feated and demoralized forces of Crooks 
and Hunter were strung along the north 
bank of the Potomac. The perilous situ- 
ation we were in must certainly have 
been known to the authorities, but we 
were misled by assurances of safety. A 
correspondent of the Philadelphia Inqvir- 
er, writing from Frederick on Thursday, 
July 28th, said that "our troops were in 
such numbers, and so situated, that for the 



first time in the history of the war, glori- 
ous news might be expected from the 
Shenandoah V^alley." The Franklin Re- 
pof^ifoi'i/, in its issue of Wednesday, 27th, 
probably to allay the excitement of our 
people, which on that day was intense 
owing to rumors of a threatening charac- 
ter along the Potomac, received the even- 
ing previous, said : "This retrograde move- 
ment of our forces, (the falling back of 
Crooks and Hunter), created much uneas- 
iness on the border, and a number of per- 
sons near the river sent their stock off 



Remimscences of the War, 



105 



again ; but at the time of this writing 
(1-5.80 P. M., Tuesday), no rebel demonstra- 
tions have been made on the Potomac at 
any point: and we do not apprehend that 
any will be made. Gen. Couch has the 
border well picketed, and the fords are all 
guarded, so that a surprise upon our peo- 
ple is hardly possible." 

Such was the condition along the border 
and in our town up to the middle of the 
day of Friday, July 29th, when the news 
of the approach ot the enemy was receiv- 
ed. And as the destruction of our town 
entailed such widespread distress, and was 
attended with so many thrilling incidents, 
which could be known only to those who 
resided in the particular parts of the town 
where they occurred, this chapter will be 
composed mostly of the observations and 
experiences of a number of persons. Be- 
fore proceeding, however, with these ac- 
counts, it is but fair and proper that the 
statements given by the principal actors 
in those events, as well as the reasons they 
assign for them, should first be heard. I 
will therefore quote from General M'Caus- 
land's account, written by himself and 
published in the AnnaU of the War, pa- 
ges 770, 774: 

In July, 186i, the cavalry brigade which I 
commanded was encamped near the Potomac 
river, in the county of Berkley, West Virginia. 
It made the advance jjost of the army under 
Gen. Early, that was guarding the approaches 
into Virginia through tlie Shenandoah Valley. 
On the 28th of July, I received an order from 
General Early to cross the Potomac with my 
brigade and one under General Bradley T. John- 
ston, and jjroceed to the city of Chambersburg, 
and after capturing it to deliver to the proper 
authorities a proclamation which he had issued, 
calling upon them to furnish me with one hun- 
dred thousand dollars in gold, or five hundred 
thousand dollars in greenbacks, and in case the 
money was not furnislied I was ordered to burn 
the city and return to Virginia. The i)rocla- 
mation also staled that this course had been 
adopted in retaliation for the; destruction of 
property in Virginia, by the orders of Gtmeral 
Hunter, and specified that the houses of An- 
drew Hunter, A. P. Boteler, p]. J. Lee, Gover- 
nor hctcher, .J. T. Anderson, the Virginia Mil- 
itary Institute, and others in Virginia, had been 
burned by the orders of General I). Hunter, a 
Federal commander, and that money demand- 
ed from Chambersburg; was to be paid to these 
parties as a comiicusation for their i)roperty. 
It appears that the ijolicy of General Early had 
been adopted upon i>rop(;r reflection : that his 
orders were distinct and final, and that what 
was done on this occasion by my command was 
not the result of inconsiderate action or want 
of proper authority, as was alleged by many 
parties at the North, both at the time and since 
the close of the war. 

On the L'9th of July, the two cavalry bri- 
gades that were to make Wxc. dash into Penn- 
sylvania, by turning the right of Hunter's 
army, were assembled at or near Hammond's 



mill, in P.erkley county, West Virginia. Dur- 
ing the night the Federal pickets on tlie north- 
ern side of the Potomac were captured, and 
the troops crossed just at daylight on thi^ morTi- 
ing of the 'M)t\\, and moved out and formcnl the 
lin(! of march on the National road. Major 
Gilmore drove the Federal cavalry from the 
small village of ('learspring, andjiushed on to- 
ward Hagerstown to create the impression that 
the rest of the troops were following. At Clear- 
spring we left the National road and turned 
north on the Mercersburg road. We reached 
Mercersburg about dark, and stopped to feed 
our horses, and to give time for the stragglers 
to come up. After this stop the march was 
continued all night, notwithstanding the oppo- 
sition made at every available point by a regi- 
ment of Federal cavalry. Major Sweeney, 
with cavalry battalion, kept the roads clear, 
and we reached Chambersburg at daylight on 
the 31st. The approach to the town was de- 
fended only by one piece of artillery and some 
regular troops that were soon driven ofif, and 
the advance of our force took possession of the 
town. The main part of the two brigades was 
formed in line on the high ground overlooking 
the town. I at once went into the place with 
my staff, and requested some of the citizens to 
inform the city authorities that I wanted to see 
them. I also sent my staff through the town to 
find out where the proper officials were, and in- 
form them that I had a proclamation for their 
consideration. Not one could be found. I then 
directed the proclamation to be read to many 
of the citizens that were near me, and request- 
ed them to hunt up their officers, informing 
them I would wait until they could either find 
them, or by consultation among themselves de- 
termine what they would do. Finally, I in- 
formed them that I would wait six hours, and 
if they would comijly with the requisition their 
town would be safe ; and in case they did not 
it would be destroyed in accordance with my 
orders from General Early. After a few hours 
of delay many citizens came to me — some were 
willing to pay the money, others were not. I 
urged them to comply with such reasons as oc- 
curred to me at the time, and told them plainly 
what they might expect. I showed to my own 
officers the written instructions of General Ear- 
ly, and before a single hou.se was destroyed 
both the citizens and the C'onfederafe officers 
that were present fully \inderstood why it was 
done, and by whose orders. After waiting un- 
til the expiration of the six hours, and finding 
that the ])rot'lamation would not be complied 
with the destruction of the town was begun by 
firing the most (-entral blocks first, and after 
the inhabitants had been removed from them. 
Thus the town was destroyed, and the inhabi- 
tants driven to tlie hills and fields adjacent 
thereto. No lives were lost by tlie citizens, and 
only one soldier waskilled, and he waskilledaf- 
tf;r t he troops left the vicinity of the place. About 
noon the troops were reformed on the high 
ground overlooking the town, where most of 
them had been posted in the early morning, and 
the return to the Potomac was begun shortly 
afterward. We encamped at McConnellsburg 
that night, and reached the river the next day, 
at or near Hancock, Maryland. 

General McCausland, then, in justifica- 



io6 



Re7ninisce7ices of the War. 



tiou of the act of vandalism executed by 
liim, says :— ''I think that these facts will 
show that thisentire expedition was plann- 
ed and executed in accordance with the 
orders of superior officers of competent 
authority to order it, and, moreover, that 
it was an act of retaliation perfectly justi- 
fied by the circumstances, and was at all 
times kept clearly within the rule govern- 
ing civilized warfare." He thus, it will be 
seen, places the responsibility of his act 
upon General Early, his superior, and 
under whose orders he was acting, and in 
justification of the act itself quotes from 
Vattal's Laio of Nations. General Mc- 
Causland makes the following mistakes in 
the foregoing statement. 

1. Chambersburg was burned on Satur- 
day, July 30th, and not on the 31st as he 
states. 

2. He says that his march from Mer- 
cersburg to this place was made "notwith- 
standing the opposition made at every 
available point by a regiment of Federal 
Cavalry.'''' 

The only troops to oppose the march of 
the rebels from Mercersburg to within two 
miles of this place, were a single company 
of cavalry under Lieut. H. T. McLean, 
(ith U. H. Regulars. This company made 
no resistance for the obvious reason that it 
could accomplish nothing with so vastly 
superior a force, but steadily fell back be- 
fore the advancing foe, keeping General 
Couch, who was then in Chambers- 
burg, and endeavoring to communicate 
with General Averiil at or near Green- 
castle, well informed of the movements of 
the foe. This small body of cavalry was 
reinforced an hour or two before daylight 
on (Saturday morning by a few men under 
Capt. McGowau and a single piece of ar- 
tillery stationed here. These few troops— 
the two companies stated— were all that 
General Couch had in his department at 
that time, and this company was sent out 
west of the town only toimj)edethe marcii 
of the rebels, and, if i)Ossible, i)revent 
them from entering the down during the 
night. As the rebels stood in mass on 
the pike west of the hill, where the resi- 
dence of Mr. Henry Greenawalt stands, a 
discharge from this gun killed one man. 

3. General McCausland says that he 
waited until the expiration of s/.c hour.s 
from the time the requisition was made 
known to our citizens, loefore he gave the 
order to commence the work of destruc- 
tion. 

Either the General's memory is at fault, 
or he wilfully falsifies. The rebels enter- 
ed the town about G o'clock in the morn- 
ing, and by 8 o'clock, as will be abundant- 
ly proven in the record to follow, the work 
of destruction was in progress, and by 12 
o'clock, as the General himself says, he 



had withdrawn his forces from the town 
and placed them in line of battle upon the 
hill two miles west of the place. Their 
departure was hastened by the approach of 
General Averill's force, of whose coming 
their scouts brought information. 

4. General McCausland also errs in 
saying that the firing of the town was not 
begun until the inhabitants had been re- 
moved from their houses. The rebels paid 
no attention whatever to the inhabitants, 
and many of them barely succeeded in es- 
caping from their burning homes, many 
of which were fired in the presence of the 
inmates. 

5. General McCausland throws the re- 
sponsibility of the destruction of our town 
upon General Early, under whose orders 
he acted. Under whose orders did he act 
when he demanded twenty thousand dol- 
lars and a large amount of clothing, hats 
and shoes of the people of Hagerstown, 
and two hundred thousand dollars from 
Frederick, and in default of the payment 
thereof, threatened the destruction of those 
places ? And under whose orders did he 
act when he demanded thirty thousand 
dollars of the village of Hancock, in de- 
fault of which he threatened to destroy 
that place, and was only prevented from 
executing his threat by the resistance of 
the Mary landers under General Bradley T. 
.Johnson and Col. Harry Gilmore and the 
timely arrival of General Averiil V The 
fact is clearly established that plunder and 
destruction were the objects in view in the 
raid as is shown in the following fact : J^ 
l)er8on whose position and means of infor- 
mation were such as to enable him to speak 
understandingly, said to the writer after 
tlie invasion of our State: "When Gener- 
al Lee returned to Virginia after the bat- 
tle of Gettysburg, the entire press of the 
South found fault with him for not laying 
this whole country in ruins; and now if 
ever the Confederates come again they 
will plunder anil destroy ; and my advice 
to you is, if ever you hear of their coming 
get everything out of their way that you 
can." The invasion of Maryland by Ear- 
ly, and the plunder and destruction which 
followed wherever he went, his demand 
upon Hagerstown, Frederick, Chambers- 
burg and Hancock, and in default of the 
payment of his demand, the destruction of 
those places, prove that the bitter howl of 
the South against our border was to be ex- 
ecuted, and that Early and McCausland 
came for that purpose, and because ot their 
peculiar fitness tor such contemptible work 
were chosen to execute it. 

General Early in justification of the or- 
der under which Chambersburg was burn- 
ed, wrote a letter of which the following is 
a copy, to Mr. Edward W. Bok, of Brook- 
lyn, New York. It was written at Lynch- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



107 



burg, Virginia, and bears date June (ith, 

1882. 

Bear /St?*:— In reply to your inquiries 1 have 
to infoi-m yon that the town of (Uiamltersburg 
was burnetl on tlie same diiy on which the de- 
luanil on it was rnaile by INIctlausland and re- 
fused. It was ascertained tliat a force of the 
enemy's cavalry was apj)roaching, antl tliere 
was no time for delay. Moreover, the refu.sal 
was peremptory, and then^ was no reason for 
delay, unless the demand was a mere idle threat. 

As to the other iiKjuiry, \ had no knowledge 
of what amount of money then; mif;ht l)e iu 
Chambersburg. 1 knew that it- was a town of 
some twelve tTiousand inhabitants. 

The town of Frederick, in Maryland, which 
was a nmch smaller town than Chambersburg 
had, in , I unci, very ])romptly rcspomled to my 
demand ou it f(n-'f2(»0,(»0(), some of this inhal)i- 
tants, who were friendly to us, <;xpressing a re- 
gret that T had not put my demand at ^,50(1,000. 
There was one ormore National banksatCham- 
bersburg, and the town ought to havebeeu able 
to rai.se the sum 1 dennuided. I never heard 
that the refusal was based on inability to pay 
such a sum, and there was no ofier to pay any 
sum. The value of the houses destroyed by 
Hunter, with their contents, was fully $100,000 
in gold, and at the time I made thedeuiand the 
price of gold in greenliacks had very nearly 
reached %'A and was going up rapidly. Hence 
it was that I required the |."(00,000 in Green- 
backs, if the gold was not paid, to in-ovide 
against any further depreciation of the iiajier 
money. 

I would have been fully justified by the laws 
of retaliation iu war in burning the town with- 
out giving the inhabitants the opportunity of 
redeeming it. A'ery respectfully yours, 

J. A. Early. 

The Ptatement that the town of Freder- 
ick, Md., "was a much smaller town than 
Chambersburg" is in(;orrect, as the popu- 
lation of that plaoe in 1870 was 10,000, 
while that of Chambersburg did not ex- 
ceed 7,000. 

Colonel Harrv Gilmore, in his "Four 
Years in the Saddle," devotes considerable 
space in his book to a description of their 
march upon Chambersburg, and the terri- 
ble scenes enacted here on that memorable 
30th of July, 1804. His style is so bom- 
bastic and self-iaudatory that he may be 
suspected to be the veritable Munchausen 
come to '.ife again. Colonel Gilmore after 
detailing his crossing the Potomac near 
McClay's Ford, his capturing the Federal 
pickets, his defeat of two Federal regi- 
ments of cavalry — the liith and 14th Penn- 
sylvania — with his two hundred men, and 
his wonderful heroism and daring i n brush- 
ing aside all opposition from the over- 
whelming numbers of P"'ederals who lay in 
ambush just specially to catch him, pro- 
ceeds as follows : 

liy this time ijie brigades (McCausland's and 
Johnston's) were both clear of the town (('hiar- 
spring) and, in fact, two or thrree miles on 
their way to Mercersburg. I fell back to Clear- 



.spring without being followed, but did not 
ovei-take the main body till after night. They 
had halted about a mile beyond Mercersburg, 
fni the road to C-hambersburg. I reported at 
headcpiarters, and found. Tohnston and McCaus- 
1 and together. It was about 10 P. M., when 
the latter informed me he should endeavor to 
be in C!hamb(irsburg by daylight, and wished 
me to guard the reiir. I had not laid down for 
tbrty-six hours, and all our men suffered terri- 
bly for want of .sleep, and it was with dilhcul- 
ty I could keep my command together. ,Just 
bt! fore daylight 1 was summoned to the front. 
The commanil had halted in an oatlield to feed 
their luH'ses. Day dawned as 1 rode up to the 
General. Near tin; edge of the town a small 
force of the enemy coul<l be sf^en. Major Swee- 
ney, who was in front, had run into an ambus- 
c.aile of infantry and artillery, and lo.st one 
man by a grapeshot. 

After making iufpiiry about the difterent 
ro.'uls leading into ('hambersburg, General Mc- 
('ausland asked nn; to Join Major Sweeney, who 
would attack the town with infantry. Tlie 
major had a gallant command, and easily drove 
everything before him ; in fact the en«;my made 
no resistance at all, and we took possession 
without losing a man. On my entering the 
town I caught sight of a mounted man, and 
ran him beyond the limits. I then made a good 
reconnoisance of all that part, and in the course 
of it had some amusing conversations with tlie 
ladies, who exercised their tongues upon me 
rather freely, which I returned in good meas- 
ure. 

General Earlj''s order was now published, re- 
quiring a levy of $200,000 in gold, or its equiv- 
alent in greenbacks, and in default of payment 
Chambersburg was to be laid in ashes. Just 
then some scouts returned with a prisoner from 
Averill's command, reporting him to be not 
more than two or three miles off", with a heavy 
force of cavalry. The citizens knew it too, and 
positively refused to raise the money, laughing 
at us when we threatened to burn the town. 

After we had breakfasted at the hotel (the 
Franklin Hotel), General McCansland ordered 
me to arrest fifty or more of the most promi- 
nent citizens, and put them under guard. I 
had arrested about forty, when he sent for me, 
and said that there was no time to be lost — the 
town must be burned ; he was .sorry for it on 
account of the women and children, but it must 
be done to check the burnins: of x>rivate prop- 
erty in Virginia, and they had none to blame 
for it but General Hunter and their own press 
for extolling such fiendish acts of vandalism. 
He then ordered me to fire the town, and showed 
me General Karly's ordtsr to that effect. Deep- 
ly regretting that such a task should fall upon 
me, I had only to obey. 1 tlnui directed my 
men to fire the town, but be kind to the women 
and children and lend them all the; assistance 
in their power. While I could remain iu the 
streets 1 did nothing but assist the people, and 
.s(!e that no excesses w ere committed. Several 
times I received peremptory orders to make 
thorough work of it, and was especially direct- 
ed to destroy all fine buildings. 

"When the town was no longer tenable, I took 
two men with me to fire a fine brick dwelling 
beautifully situated on an eminence, north-west 
of the town. Dismounting, I went in, and told 



io8 



Reminiscences of the War. 



the lady who came to the door that I was there 
to perforin the extremely unpleasant duty of 
burning her house, which I much regretted ; 
that we were obliged to resort to such extreme 
measures in order to prevent or check the terri- 
ble devastation committed by such men as 
General Hunter. I told her that the people of 
that town had seen us twice before, and that all 
had spoken in the highest terms of our behavior, 
saying that our soldiers had behaved better 
than their own. She was weeping, evidently 
much distressed, but she acknowledged the 
justice of my remarks, and declared that she 
blamed none but the administration for allow- 
ing such horrible acts of cruelty to go impun- 
ished. She was in deep distress, and shed 
many bitter tears ; did not beg me to spare her 
house ; only asked time to remove some articles 
of value and clothing. This was readily 
granted. Breakfast was on the table, and she 
asked me to eat something while she was get- 
ting her tilings together. Being hungry, I 
accepted the invitation, and drank a glass of 
wine before sitting down. I delayed as much as 
possible, in order to afford her more time, and 
when I rose from the table 1 had half a mind 
to disobey orders in regard to this house. She 
then came in, and entered into conversation. I 
asked her the name of her husband. She re- 
plied, 'Colonel Boyd, of the Union Army.' 
'What ! Colonel Boyd, of the 1st New York 
Cavalry?' 'The same, sir.' 'Then, madam, 
your house shall not be destroyed.' I now un- 
derstood why she had not pleaded for it. The 
reader will recollect that this officer has been 
already mentioned as operating in the Valley. 
He had ever been kind and lenient to the citi- 
zens, men, women and children, warring only 
against men in arms. The fact of her being 
the wife of Col. Boyd decided me at once. I 
told her that I knew her husband, and had 
fought against him for two years in the Valley 
of Virginia ; that he had gained a high repiita- 
tion among the citizens for kindness and gen- 
tlemanly conduct ; that while we were there 
for the purpose of punishing vandalism, we 
were ready and anxious to rejiay acts of kind- 
ness done to our people, who, when unprotect- 
ed, had been exposed by the fortunes of war to 
the mercy or harsh treatment of our foes. I 
told her that her house should not be bixrned, 
blame me for it who would, and that I would 
leave a guard for her protection till all were 
gone. She seemed to be completely over- 
whelmed, as though she did not comprehend 
what I had said ; but when I assured her again 
that neither her house nor anything that be- 
longed to her should be molested, her gratitude 
knew no bounds. To the picket near by the 
house she afterward sent baskets filled with 
nice eatables, hot coflee and as much wine as 
they desired. 

I left a guard, and well I did, for an officer 
who had been drinking too much came up 
soon after, and tried to force the guard and 
hurn the house. 

The burning of Chambersburg was an awful 
sight, nor could I look on without deep sorrow, 
although 1 had been hardened by such scenes 
in Virginia. At one view we had, with 
anguished hearts, from the mountain top, gaz- 
ed upon the sky reddened by the burning of 
one hundred and eighteen houses in that once 



smiling valley, a small part indeed, in the his- 
tory of Hunter's ruthless raid; inflicted, too, 
not by an iiugovernable soldiery, but under a 
coldly calculated mandate. "Who, then, faking 
a dispassionate view, will condemn our govern- 
ment for this act of righteous retribution ? 

Hitherto the fires had been applied to the 
houses of my friends, which roused within me 
feelings of the sternest vengeance ; still, I felt 
more like weeping over Chambersburg, al- 
though the people covered me with reiiroaches, 
which all who knew me will readily believe I 
found hard to digest ; yet my pity was highly 
excited in behalf of these poor unfortunates, 
who were made to suffer for acts periietrated 
by the officers of their own government. 

The day was bright and intensely hot. The 
conflagration seemed to s^jring from one vast 
building. Dense clouds of smoke rose to the 
zenith, and hovered over the dark plain. At 
night it would have been a grand but terrible 
object to behold. How i>iteous the sight in 
those beautiful green meadows — groups of 
women and children exposed to the rays of a 
burning sun, hovering over the few articles 
they had saved, most of them wringing their 
hands, and with wild gesticulations bemoaning 
their ruined homes. 

AVe left Chambersburg at noon, and went 
into camp at McConnellsburg, where we found 
plenty of provender and rations. 

Col. Gilmoreerrs in his statement of the 
amount of money demanded of the town. 
He states it as $200,000 in gold or its equi- 
valent in greenbacks. It was $100,000 in 
gold, or $500,000 in United States curren- 
cy. His statement that soon after taking 
breakfast at the Franklin Hotel, McCaus- 
land told him that there was no time to be 
lost and that the town must be fired at 
once, disproves the latter 's story that he 
gave our citizens six hours to raise the 
money demanded before he gave the order 
to begin the work of destruction. Col. 
Gilmore also says that after the town was no 
longer tenable, he went cut to Federal 
Hill to burn the residence of Col. Boyd, 
and breakfast being on the table, and 
being invited to eat, and being very hun- 
gry^ he sat down and enjoyed the profiered 
hospitality. Either that was a very late 
breakfast, or the one he had previously 
eaten at tlie Franklin Hotel did not fully 
satisfy him. or else he was so nearly starv- 
ed out in Virginia that he did not know 
when he had enough, or else his memory 
was at fault. That the work of firing was 
committed to him, and that it was ettectu- 
ally done, and seemingly by methods well 
understood, and not improvised for the 
occasion, may be due to the fact that he was 
from Baltimore, where Fire Bugs have 
reduced their nefarious work to a science. 

It will be remembered that two brigades 
were present in the destruction of the 
town, McCausland's and Bradley T. 
Johnston's. McCausland's brigade, al- 
though considerably reduced by the casu- 



Remmiscences of the War. 



109 



alties of war, was the same as Jenkins', 
and had been here, as Col. Gilmore says, 
twice before. McCausland, it is said, had 
been professor in the Virginia Military 
Institute, with Stonewall Jackson. He 
succeeded Jenkins in the command of his 
brigade. Jenkins was wounded at Gettys- 
burg, and after his recovery, and separa- 
tion from Lee's army, and his resumption 
of his guerilla method of warfare, he was 
severely wounded in a fight with General 
Crooks" at Cloide Mountain. His wound 
was not considered dangerous, until one 
night the bandage became removed, and 
he bled so profusely that death ensued. 
Jenkins manifested some honorable traits 
when here, but if McCausland had any he 
did not manifest them. 

The reasons assigned by the Confeder- 
ates for the destruction of Chambersburg, 
it will have been perceived, were the acts 
of wanton cruelty said to have been perpe- 
trated by General Hunter in the Valley of 
Virginia. Justice to the citizens of the 
South demands a fair consideration of this 
plea. General J. D. Imboden, in an arti- 
cle on this subject contributed to the 
Annals of the TFar, pages 169-183, details 
at considerable length the operations of 
General Hunter in his raid up the Valley 
upon Lynchburg, and presents a fearful 
record of houseburning and other acts of 
cruelty upon unarmed and defenseless 
people, that was wholly unjustifiable 
according to the laws of civilized warfare, 
unless there tvere reasons for the same 
which have not been stated. Says General 
Imboden : "If the people of Chambers- 
burg will carefully read the record of wan- 
ton destruction of private property, this 
'o'er true tale' of cruel wrong inflicted on 
the helpless, they will understand why, 
when goaded to madness, remuneration 
was demanded at their hands by General 
Early, and upon its refusal retaliation 
was inflicted on the nearest community 
that could be reached, and it was their 
misfortune to be that community." 

Justice to General Hunter demands that 
he should have a hearing upon these 
serious charges, and I therefore give his 
side of the question. The depredations of 
guerillas and bushwhackers had become 
so numerous, murders and robberies so 
frequent, and by the aid of the residents 
the perpetrators so uniformly escaped 
justice, that General Hunter was compell- 
ed to adopt the most strenuous measures 
to put a stop to them. He accordingly 
issued and circulated the following circu- 
lar: 

Headqt's Department of W. Va., ) 

In the Field, Valley of the Shenandoah, [■ 

May 24th, 18G4. ) 

Sir : — Yonr name has been reporteil to nn- 
with evi«lence that yoii are one of the leading 



secessionist sympathizers in the valley, and 
that you countenance and abet the bushwhack- 
ers and guerillas who infest the woods and 
mountains of this region, swooping out on the 
roads to ijlunder and outrage loyal residents, 
falling upon and tiring into defenseless wagon 
trains and assassinating soldiers of this com- 
mand, who may chance to be placed in exposed 
positions. These practices are not recognized 
bj' the laws of war of any civilized nation, nor 
are the persons engaged therein entitled to any 
other treatment than that done by the univer- 
sal code of justice to pirates, murderers and 
other out-laws. 

But from the difficulties of the country, the 
secret aid and information given to these bush- 
whackers by persons of your class, and the 
more important occuiiation of the troops under 
my command, it is impossible to chase, arrest, 
and punish these common marauders as they 
deserve. Without the countenance and help 
given to them by the rebel residents of the val- 
ley, they could not support themselves for a 
week. You are spies upon our movements, 
abusing the clemency which has protected your 
persons and your property, while loyal citizens 
of the United States, I'esidiug within the rebel 
lines, are invariably plundered of all they may 
possess, imprisoned, and in some cases put to 
death. It is from you, and your families and 
neighbors, that these bandits receive food, cloth- 
ing, ammunition and information, and it is 
from their secret hiding places, in your houses, 
barns and woods that they issue on their mis- 
sions of pillage and murder. 

You are therefore hereby notified, that for ev- 
ery train fired upon, or soldier of the Union 
wounded' or assassinated by bushwhackers in 
any neighborhood within the reach of my com- 
mand, the houses and other xiroperty of every se- 
cession sympathizer residing witniu a circuit 
of five miles from the place of the outrage, 
shall be destroyed by fire, and that for all pub- 
lic property jayhawked or destroyed by these 
marauders, an assessment of five times the val- 
ue of such iiroperty will be made upon the se- 
cession sympathizers residing within the cir- 
cuit of ten miles around the point at which the 
ofi"(;nse was committed. The payment of this 
ass<!ssnient will be enforced by the troops of 
this department, who wil! seize and hold in 
close military custody the persons assessed, un- 
til such payment shall have been made. This 
provision will also be applied to make good 
from the secessionists in the ueigliborhood, five 
times the amount of any loss suftered by loyal 
citizens of the United States, from the action of 
the bushwhackers whom you may encourage. 

If you desire to avoid the consequences here-* 
in set forth, you will notify your guerilla aii«* 
bushwhacking friends to withdraw from thB. 
])ortiou of th(! vsillcy within my lines, and to 
join, if they desire to fight for the rebellion, the 
r(!gular forces of the secession army in my front 
or elsewhere. You will have none but your- 
selves to blame for the consequences that will 
certainly ensues if these evils arts permitted to 
continue. This circular is not sent to you for 
the reason that you have been singled out as 
l»eculiarly obnoxious, but because you are be- 
lieved to furnish the readiest means of commu- 
nication Avith the prominent secession sympa- 



no 



Reminiscences of the IVai- 



thizers of yonr iieigliborliood. It will be for 
their beuetit that you coiniiuinieiit<( to them tlm 
tenor of tliis circular. D. Huntki;, 

Major General Vdmiiiundinfi. 

In further justification of this retribu- 
tive policy of General Hunter, which, if 
the charges he alleges were true, was strict- 
ly within the rules of war, it should be stated 
that guerillas and bushwhackers, whenev- 
er caught, claimed to be in the Confeder- 
ate service and should, therefore, be treat- 
ed as prisoners of war. This claim the 
Confederate government always conceded; 
but General Hunter by his circular gave 
notice that that claim would be no longer 
granted. And it was the execution of the 
policy intimated in this order, it is claimed, 
that save rise to the charges brought 
against him of inhumanity. 

General Hunter's reason" for burning the 
house of ex-Governor Letcher at Lexing- 
ton, was the finding in a printing ofiicein 
that city of the type and proof of a hand- 
bill issued and signed by Letcher, calling 
upon the people of that region to "'bush- 
whack" Hunter's men. This clearly iden- 
tified Letcher with this unwarranted bus- 
iness, and was held as a sufficient justifi- 
cation for the destruction of his property. 
What the causes were which led to the de- 
struction of several other private residen- 
ces have not been stated. If, now, the de- 
struction of the buildings by General Hun- 
ter in the Valley of Virginia, especially 
of the five or six enumerated by General 
Early in his demand upon Chambersburg, 
was executed under the foregoing order, or 
for any other violation of the acknowl- 
edged rules of civilized warfare, the retali- 
ation which was visited upon this place 
was altogether unjustifiable ; if they were 
not destroyed for the violation of the pro- 
visions of this order, or for any other ade- 
quate reason, but from mere wantonness 
and revenge, then retaliation to the same 
extent^ provided it had not already been 
visited upon some other place or places, 
was right and justifiable. Anything be- 
yond this, however, would be barbarous 
and unwarranted. F'urthermore, if the 
destruction of the properties in the valley 
by General Hunter, was in plain violation 
of the laws of war, as is claimed by the 
Confederates, the question arises whether 
retaliation had not already been made in 
the burning of the residence of Governor 
Bradford and the pillaging of Montgome- 
ry Blair's, near Washington, the exaction 
of two hundred thousand dollars from the 
city of Frederick, and twenty thousand 
dollars from Hagerstown, or in default 
thereof, the destruction of those two pla- 
ces ? Judged by either of the rules stated, 
the destruction of Chambersburg was un- 
justifiable, and must forever brand its per- 
petrators with ignomy and reproach. 



Having given the statements of the three 
principal actors in the destruction of our 
town, as well as their reasons for the .same, 
I now proceed to narrate the same from 
my own observations and from those of 
others. 

On Friday, July llOth, 18(14, about half- 
past 12 o'clock, as I came into our store 
after dinner, I was informed that word 
had been received by telegraph that the 
rebel cavalry had crossed the Potomac 
simultaneously at Williamsport, Cherry 
Jlun and McC»)y's fords. The force whicli 
crossed at the last named ford comprised 
the brigades of Brig. Gen's. Jno. M'Caus- 
land. formerly Jenkin's brigade, and Brad- 
ley T. Johnston. These forces took the 
road leading througli C'learspring to Mer- 
cersburg, and evidently were aiming for 
('hambersburg. As soon as the informa- 
tion of this raid was spread throughout 
the town, a scene of indescribable confu- 
sion, such as had occurred several times 
))reviously during the war, at once set in. 
Merchants and businessmen set to work 
to remove or secrete their merchandize 
and valuables. I ran to the depot and 
learned from Messrs. Oaks and Linn that 
they had one empty car which I could 
have. This car I at once secured, and 
hastily packing as much of our stock of 
merchandize as I could find boxes for — a 
considerable part having been xmcked and 
sent to Philadelphia a few weeks before 
upon the threatened approach of the reb- 
els — shipped the same to the depot and 
that night it was taken down the road. 
The balance of our stock, consisting of 
hosiery, gloves and other small articles, 
we secreted in the beer vault under Dr. 
Ijanirhein's back building — the same in 
which a greater part of stock was hidden 
duringtheinvasion 3 year previously. Oth- 
er articles were placed in this vault and its 
entrance was walled up. I took this pre- 
caution to send off" the greater part of our 
stock, because of the advice of the friend 
previously referred to— that the next time 
the rebels would come, it would be to burn 
and plunder, and that I should put every- 
thing out of their way that I could. Oth- 
er business men in the town merely hid 
their stock somewhere in their own hou- 
ses, or in the houses of others, and sufTered 
the loss of the whole. 

About dusk in the evening, about fifty 
or more wagons from General Hunter's 
command along the Potomac, commenced 
passing through the town, and went on 
down the valley towards Harrisburg. 
Large numbers of straggling and demor- 
alized soldiers— infantry and cavalry— from 
the same command also began to pass 
through the town. I judge these strag- 
glers would have amounted to one thous- 
and or more. These men were weary, 



Reminiscences of the War. 



Ill 



liuiij^iy and greatly demoralized. Many 
of theiu we took into our house and fed. 
Colonel (irilniorein his account says that 
wliile the main body of the Confederates 
under McCausland and Johnson left the 
pike at Clearspring and passed on towards 
Mercersburg, on their way to Chambers- 
burg, he with his command of a few hun- 
dred men drove a force of Federal cavalry 
towards Hagerstown. This force was 
Cole's Maryland cavalry, and a member 
of it who participated in the operations of 
that day, relates that they fell back into 
Hagerstown and weresurprised there some- 
time during that same day by the unex- 
pected appearance of a Confederate force, 
before which they fled and became scatter- 
ed. He, with some nine or ten others, in 
command of a sergeant, fled towards this 
place and spent the night within a few 
miles of town. On the following day, 
while the town was in flames, they joined 
Averill's force and passed through the 
town westwardly in pursuit of McCaus- 
land, but in a day or two afterwards re- 
joined their own command. It seems hard- 
ly probable that Gilmore's handful of men 
should drive before them a regiment of 
Marylauders enlisted specially for home 
defense, but such seems to have been the 
fact. But what troops were those who sud- 
denly appeared in Hagerstown later in the 
day and stampeded this same regiment ? 
The following account, furnished by Mr. 
J. H. Fosnot at that time, and now in the 
employ of the Cumberland Valley Rail- 
road Company, may throw some light 
upon this question. Mr. Fosnot says : A 
train of cars containing aregimentof New 
York soldiers was taken to Hagerstown, 
arriving there about half-past seven 
o'clock in the evening. This train was in 
charge of Mr. Fosnot. Jacob Sweitzer 
was engineer, P. Zeigler, fireman and An- 
drew iStepler brakeman. The soldiers were 
sent away as soon as the train arrived. 
Mr.Fosnot says he had orders from Colonel 
liull, Superintendent of the road, to take 
all the cars from Hagerstown and leave 
for Chambersburg as soon as possible. The 
rebels, Mr. F. says, were reported as be- 
tween Williamspoit and Hagerstown. 
There were several cars there loaded with 
forage, commissary's stores, &c.-, these 
the officers would not permit him to take 
away. Notifying Colonel Lull by tele- 
graph of this refusal, he ordered Mr. F. to 
leave at once with what cars he could. 
Just about the time the train started from 
I'^ranklin street, the rebels— some fifteen 
or twenty — rode up to the passenger depot. 
Seeing the train moving, they started af- 
ter it, and would have caught it but for 
the cattle guard at the engine house. Mr. 
F. was back somewhere near the rear of 
the train, ready to uncouple four or five of 



the hinder cars in case the rebels came up. 
At that point the grade was heavy, and 
the train could not go fast. Finding that 
they could not catch the train, the rebels 
rode back and set fire to all the cars left on 
the siding, and burned them and all their 
contents. Mr. F. says they left Hagers- 
town aboutO o'clock, and they ran through 
to Harrisburg that night. What became 
of the New York soldiers he did not know. 
It would seem that there was bad man- 
agement somewhere, for if that regiment 
of Marylanders had been handled proper- 
ly, or if the regiment taken to Hagers- 
town in the train spoken of by Mr. Fos- 
not, had been used, this rebel force might 
have been kept from entering the town 
and the destruction of government prop- 
erty averted. Evidently the purpose of 
the Confederates was to disconcert and 
mislead the Union forces, and prevent Av- 
erill from pressing McCausland and John- 
son. Before these forces in and about Ha- 
gerstown Averill fell back to a short dis- 
tance from Greencastle, where he went into 
camp for the night, and where, for the 
present, we will leave him, turning our 
attention to the force under McCausland 
on its way to this place. 

About (5 o'clock in the evening the head 
of the rebel column encountered near Mer- 
cersburg Captain McLean's company of 
cavalry, who steadily fell back before the 
superior numbers of the enemy, and sent 
off courier after courier to General Couch 
giving him information of the approach- 
ing foe. General Couch sent three du- 
patchea to General Averill near Greencas- 
tle, informing him of the approach of the 
enemy, and importuning him to hasten 
here with his command, but failed to re- 
ceive a reply. This whole matter will be 
set forth from the testimony of reliable, 
living witnesses later on in this narrative. 
Failing to get a reply from General Aver- 
ill, General Couch, after sending out to the 
hill west of the town a single piece of ar- 
tillery in charge of a few men — all that he 
had at his disposal — for the purpose of pre- 
venting the rebels from entering the town 
during the darkness of the night, and 
knowing that his longer stay could be of no 
benefit to the town, and might result in 
his own capture, left in a special train 
about 4 o'clock in the morning. The few 
men in ciiarge of the gun upon the hill 
near the residence of Mr. Greenawalt, were 
reinforced near daylight by Captain Mc- 
Lean's cavalry, and after one discharge 
into the rebel column, by which one man 
w'as killed and four or five wounded, the 
small, but heroic band, fell back to the 
fairgrounds,were, by skillful manoeuvring, 
they detained the rebel advance two hours 
and until daylight. Then, fearing that 
they might be flanked and caught, they 



112 



Reminiscences of the War. 



fell back down Market street to the Dia- 
moud, and down Main towards Harris- 
burg. Their withdrawal through the town 
was leisurly and orderly, and without the 
least appearance of fear. Nothing would 
have gratified that brave handful of men 
more than to have had about two thous- 
and men as brave as themselves to stand 
by them, and wipe out once for all the 
whole invading crew. 

While waiting along the road west of 
Mr. Greenawalt's for daylight, a boister- 
ous and angry council was held by Mc- 
Causland and some of his officers in Mr. 
Greenawalt's house. Mrs. Greenawalt 
overheard this contention, and says that 
earnest protests were made to MeCausland 
against burning anything but public prop- 
erty. At this MeCausland was greatly in- 
censed, and threatened summary ven- 
geance upon them if his orders to burn the 
town were disobeyed. MeCausland, too, 
insisted upon advancing at once, and burn- 
ing the town during the darkness. To this 
General Johnson and Colonel Gilmore 
strenuously objected. The increased hor- 
rors which must have resulted if MeCaus- 
land had not been overruled in his deter- 
mination, may be imagined. 

Shortly after the break of day the whole 
command advanced, and the greater part 
formed in line of battle upon the hights 
overlooking the town, and without any 
notice whatever to our citizens, three 
shells were fired right into our town. One 
of these shells passed through the house 
standing upon the top of New England 
hill, formerly occupied by Mr. Jacob Eby. 
It went clean through the house, entering 
one window and passing out another di- 
rectly opposite. Another shell lit in the 
lot in the rear of Mr. Lemuel King's car- 
riage factory on King street. The firing 
of these shells, without previous notice, 
into a crowded and defenseless town, is 
against the rules of civilized warfare. And 
yet to avenge the alleged violation of these 
laws these marauding and pilfering plun- 
derers came here to destroy our town. 

The combined forces of MeCausland and 
Johnson amounted to twenty-eight hun- 
dred byactualcountasthey passed through 
St. Thomas after the destruction of our 
town. About2,000 of these, with six pie- 
ces of artillery, stood in line of battle upon 
the hill west of the town, and eight hun- 
dred and thirty-one came into the town, 
their skirmishers simultaneously invest- 
ing every street and alley. I sat by an 
open window and saw them enter. Some 
five or six men on foot, with carbines 
ready for action entered the Diamond by 
Market street. .At the same time I could 
see about the same number entering by 
the streets and alleys up town, and when 
they reached the middle of the Diamond 



they called to their companions further up 
the street, who responded by similar calls. 
These skirmishers were followed by the 
cavalry, until the Diamond was pretty 
well filled by them, when the work of 
breaking in the stores and other places of 
business was commenced at once. John- 
son and MeCausland and Gilmore, with a 
number of other officers, breakfasted at 
the Franklin hotel, after which they went 
out into the street to commence business. 
Captain Fitzhugh,who was Jenkins' chief 
of staff when here a year previously, rec- 
ognized J. W. Douglas, and calling him 
communicated the information that un- 
less one hundred thousand dollars in gold, 
or five hundred thousand in greenbacks 
were paid, the town was to be burned. As 
Mr. Douglas and Mr. A. Holler are the 
only two living persons who saw the or- 
der of General Early that I know of, these 
gentlemen h ave kindly prepared the fol- 
lowing statements of that affair, which, 
because of its importance I give entire 
here. Mr. Douglass's account is as fol- 
lows: 

Jacob Hoke, Esq. — Dear Sir : — At your so- 
licitation I make the following statement with 
regard to my recollection of the events on the 
morning of the burning of the greater jjortion 
of Chambersbui-g by the rebel forces, under 
General MeCausland, of which I was personal- 
ly cognizant ; it is now nearly twenty years 
since tliat day, and whilst many minor inci- 
dents are forgotten in the lapse of time, the 
great facts stand out in great vividness. 
Very truly yours, 

J. W. Douglas. 

The 30th of July, 1864, was bright and warm. 
A few rebel sliells screamed over our heads 
early in the morning to warn us of the ap- 
proaching foe. Near 6 o'clock, A. M., I was 
was standing, with many otliers, on the veran- 
da of the McNulty house watching the caval- 
ry file into tlie S(iuare, of which they took en- 
tire possession, and commenced feeding their 
liorses oats and corn on the edge of the pave- 
ments. Whilst thus engaged loolting, I hoard 
my name called, and just below me on the 
street an officer rode out of line and desired 
me by name to come down. Wlien I reached 
the pavement the officer liad already dismoun- 
ted, and approacliing me said : "I am Cap- 
tain Fitzhugh, formerly of General Jenkin's 
staff. We met last year and then your Burgess 
directed me to you to inform your people of 
some things we wished done. I now ask you 
to be our bearer on this occasion." I told him 
I recollected him and asked liim what he wished 
done. He then said we have come here to de- 
mand the payment of one hundred thousand 
dollars in gold, or in lieu thereof, five hundred 
thousand dollars in greenbacks, and if this 
requisition is not complied with, then to burn 
your town. I asked him by what authority lie 
a.sked such a sum of money and threat<med to 
lay in ashes the homes of our defenceless fami- 
lies if the demand was not complied with. He 



Reminiscences of the War. 



113 



then niibuttoued his coat and took from a side 
pocket a folded paper and handed it to nio with 
th(i remark: "This is my authority." The order 
ran something in this wise : 

Headcjuaktkks of the Akmy of \ 
North Virginia. \ 
To General ,). McCausland : — You are here- 
by oi'dered to proceed witli such forces as will 
be detailed, and as rapidly as possible, to the 
town of Chambersburg, Penna., and demand 
of the authoriti(;s the sum of one hundred 
thousand dollars in gold, or in lieu thereof the 
sum of Ave hundred thousand dollars in green- 
backs, and in ease this demand is not complied 
with, then in retaliation for the burning of seven 
pro]ierties of peaceful inhabitants of the Valley 
of Virginia, by order of the Federal Gen. Him- 
tei', you will proceed to burn the town of Cham- 
bersburg and rapidly return to this point. 
Signed : J. A. Early, 

General Commcmdirif/. 

"Now," said Capt. Fitzhugh, after the read- 
ing was finished, "you see we are in a hurry. I 
want you to go immediately and see your ])eo- 
ple and tell them of this demand and see that 
tlie money is forthcoming, for I assure you 
that this order will be rigidly enforced." I 
said this was monstrous, there were no Union 
soldiers hei-e. "Oh, yes," he said, "they have 
been firing en us for some hours." 1 re])li('d 
only a squail of twenty with two litth; i}i('C(\s; 
they left long ago. He said there is a large 
force of young men in this valley, to which I 
did not reply. "Now go," he saitl, "and 
report to me as soon as possible." I then went 
up Market street and told everyone I met of 
the rebel demand. They generally laughed at 
first, and when I spoke earnestly about the ter- 
rible alternative, they said they were; trying to 
scare us and went into their houses. I tlicn 
went up iMain street iu the same manner and 
with th(i same rtisult. I then went to the hotel 
to see Capt. F. They told me he was over in 
the book store buying stationary. Going to 
Shryock's liook store, then kept where Hat- 
nick's cigar ston; is now locat(!d, 1 met tlu; 
Captain and told liim most of our capitalists 
were out of town ; all tlie bank funds removed, 
as we knew of their advance last night, and 
that h(i couldn't S(iu('e/,e blood out of a turn!]). 
Whilst w<! w(n-e si>eaking, another otfi<'er ;i])- 
proaclKHl us, and Capt. F. turning to him said, 
•'Gen(!ral McCausland, this is the gentleman I 
I'eiiwe.stcd to notify the jico])le of Chamlxnsburg 
of our errand." I r.'peated to him what I lia<l 
already saitl to Capt. Fit/.hugh. 11(^ took me 
by the arm, and leading me out into the Dia- 
mond, said, "are you sure you have seen your 
l>ublic men ? 1 .should be very sorry to carry 
out the retributive part of the conuuand of my 
sujierior officer," and as w(! walked towards the 
Court House, he said: "Can't you ring the 
Court Hou.se bell and call the citizens together 
and see if this sum of inoney cannot be raised '." ' 
I reit(!rated that there was no money here ; 
that living so near the border no large sums 
were kept here, and that as we knew of this 
advance, tlie bank officers had fled and taken 
the funds with them. I .said the Court Hou.se 
was locked up and even tlie janitor had left. 
He then ordered .some of his men to open the 
Court House door with the butts of th<dr mus- 



kets and ring the bell. Then several of our 
citizens came and engaged iu conversation 
with General McCausland, when I h^ft, going 
to my hotel to notify my mother of the coming 
storm and .save articles of value to no one but 
the family. 

Mr. Holler's statement is as follows : 
Mr. JIoke, iSir : In complying with your 
request, I will nuike the following brief state- 
ment of my interview with General McCaus- 
land on the morning of the burning of Cham- 
bersburg by the rebels. Mr. John Lohr, who 
resided by the gate house on the Shixii)eusl)urg 
l)ike, sent me word to make some arrangements 
for the burial of his child. Accompanied by 
Mr. Joseph Frey, the undertaker, I went to see 
General McCausland and met him in front of 
the Court House. I told him that we would 
like to have a pass to go out to see about the 
burial of a child at the edge of the town. He 
told me that he had something of more imjiort- 
ance to attcsnd to than hurrying the dead. He 
then took from his pocket an order, or requisi- 
tion, signed by General Early, the substance of 
which was, that the srm of five humtred thous- 
and dollars in United States nu>ney, or one 
hundred thousand dollars in gold must be jiaid 
over to him, and if not paid iu one hour's time 
the town would be burned. I told him that I 
supposed that the town would have to be 
burned, as the Jiank had sent its funds away, 
and that tin; citizens could not rais(3 that 
amount. 1 had some other conversation with 
him that 1 do not recollect now. I then left 
him for my honu; on Second street, and I do 
not think that 1 was over fifteen minutes on 
the way, and on arriving at the house 1 looked 
back and saw tlie smoke going up from the 
Court House. Thus commenced one of the 
nu)st atrocious acts of the war — the burning of 
our beautiful town. 

R(^spectfully yours, 

A. Holler. 

Tlie citizens failing to heed McCaus- 
land 's call for a conference, made through 
Mr. J)oug!as and the ringing of the ('ourt 
House hell, that chieftain ordered Col, 
Gilmore to arrest a number of leading 
persons and bring them before him. Col. 
T. P>. ICennedy .says that J. McD. Sharpe 
and W. McLlellan, Esqrs., called at his 
door, and while engaged in conversation 
about McCausland 's demand ami threat, 
Col. (iilmore rode up and told them that 
the citizens were treatingGeneral McCaus- 
land with great disrespect in not coming 
at once to the Diamond as desired. Mr. 
Kennedy said t<J him, that no disrespect 
was inteiuled ; that the funds of the Jiank 
were all sent away, and there was scarcely 
five hundred thousand cents left in town 
instead of that many dollars. (Jilmore 
then said, "Very well, I'll take you gen- 
tlemen to Richmond, and burn your — r 
town." These three persons, Messrs. 
Sharpe, Kennedy and McLlellan, with 
W. H. McDowell, W. S. Everett, Dr. J. 
C. Richards, E. G. Etter and M. A. Eoltz, 
who were also present, were placed under 



114 



Reminiscences of the War. 



guard and taken into the presence of 
McCausland. When brought before the 
General, he declared to them the order of 
General Early and his determination to 
execute it if the money was not promptly 
paid. Dr. J. C. Kichards, acting as spol^es- 
man for the citizens repeated tlieir utter 
inability to raise the money, and remon- 
strated against the monstrosity of burning 
a whole town of six to seven thousand in- 
habitants, iu retaliation for the seven build- 
ings named as destroyed by General Hun- 
ter. Captain Fitzhugh, who was Jenkin's 
chief of stafl", and had made himself 
infamous by his conduct when here the 
year previously, replied with an oath, that 
the orders of General Early would be car- 
ried out very quickly. The citizens were 
then released with the order to report 
at the same place (in front of the 
Court House) at a given time, but it 
is needless to say that they did not 
"report." While these negotiations 
were going on, the rebels were break- 
ing into stores and shops, plundering 
them of their contents. Hotels and res- 
taurants were also visited, and liquor was 
drank and many became intoxicated. 
The robbery of the citizens along the 
street was commenced, and hats, caps, 
boots, watches, and everything of value 
which they could find were taken. 
Shortly after this conference with the citi- 
zens terminated, the work of burning was 
commenced, when those under arrest 
were discharged from custody. 

As soon as General McCausland direct- 
ed his men to commence the work of de- 
struction, detachments were sent to all 
parts of the town; and as events of the 
most thrilling interest occurred all over 
the town that were witnessed by those 
only in each respective place, I will nar- 
rate those events from the various] state- 
ments given me. I will commence by 
detailing what came within my own ob- 
servation. 

When I saw the doors of stores and 
shops broken open, I took my stand in 
front of our store with key in hand, ready 
to unlock t' e door and not have it broken 
in with the butts of their muskets as they 
were doing to others. When a squad 
came to our store I at once unlocked the 
door, and about twenty entered it and 
made a thorough search. Finding it 
empty they inquired wliere we had our 
goods. To this I replied that we had 
shipped them to i'hiladelphia. After 
they left I closed the door, and sat down 
by it, and entered into conversation with 
a gentlemanly, looking man, who inform- 
ed me that he was a chaplain, a Methodist 
minister, born in Fayette county, this 
State, but then residing in Virginia. His 
name, he said, was Johnston. While we 



were thus conversing, an officer rode up 
and dismounted and tied his horse in front 
of our door. Observing some of the sol- 
diers breaking into the millinery store of 
Miss Mary Barnitz, nearly opposite, and 
coming out with bonnets, hats, feathers, 
flowers, and other millinery articles, I 
said to the chaplain, "Now, sir, you tell 
me you are a Methodist preacher; your 
men across the street are carrying from 
that millinery store articles which are of 
great value to the owner, but no use to 
themselves ; the lady who owns them is a 
Methodist; can't you have them desist?" 
He spoke a word or two to the men, but 
without effect. Other soldiers passed 
along the pavement carrying jars of 
candy, handsful of cinnamon, and other 
articles which they had taken, and were 
strewing them all along as they went. 
Others had procured liquor, and were 
drinking. At length the chaplain said to 
me, "Do you reside in this house ?" I 
replied affirmatively, when lie said that 
the soldiers were rolling barrels of kero- 
sene across the Diamond to the Court 
House; that they were going to burn it, 
and that 1 had better try to save what I 
could. Leaving the chaplain and the dis- 
mounted officer at the door, 1 ran up 
stairs, snatched up some valuable books 
from the parlor table, and ran down to 
near the corner of Main and King streets, 
and by permission placed them in the 
house of Mr. Flack. They were all burn- 
ed there, and I never saw them afterwards. 
I next brought down to the door as much 
bed clothing as I could carry, and was met 
at the door by a man who resided on the 
outskirts of the town, and who volunteer- 
ed to carry it to a place of safety. He took 
it to the house of Mr. Christian Fuller, on 
Second street, where it was saved. I soon 
followed this man with another load of 
bed clothing, and carried it to the same 
place. Emerging from our door with this 
load another officer who was passing by 
inquired why I was removing these 
things V 1 told him that they were setting 
tire to tlie Court House (I did not know 
that they were going to destroy the whole 
town) and if it burned, we too would be 
burned out. He said that it could not be 
possible that the Court House was to be 
burned. Returning to the house after car- 
rying away this load, and going up stairs, 
I encountered a rebel officer iu one of the 
rooms. Seeing me he inquired, "Do you 
reside here ?" Telling him that I did, he 
said, "My friend, for God's sake, let me 
help you. Tell me what you value most, 
and i will take it to a place of safety, for 
they are going to burn the whole town." 
At that instant my wife appeared, and 
hearing the last remark, said, "If they are 
going to burn the whole town there is no 



Reminiscences of the War. 



115 



use to remove uuything foi' thev may as 
well burn here as somewhere else." By 
this time the members of my family — 
myself and three others— females, had 
gathered together a few articles of clothing 
and other valued articles — my wife carry- 
ing in her hand her deceased father's pho- 
tograph which she had snatched from its 
place on the wall, and ran down stairs. 
The officer followed us to the door and en- 
treated one of the ladies to mount his 
horse and escape from the awful place, for 
by this time flames were bursting out 
everywhere. He declared that he did not 
want his horse any longer in the rebel 
service. At the door I found the officer 
already alluded to, who had rode up and 
hitched his horse some time before, crying 
bitterly. He seemed to be dazed and con- 
fused at the awful scene. Pointing here 
and there at the leaping, crackling flames, 
as they burst forth from buildings all 
around us, he cried out, "See ! See !! Oh 
my God ! My God ! I Has it come to this 
that we must be made a band of thieves 
and robbers by a man like McCausland r"' 
About that time another soldier came up, 
and unbuckling his sword placed it in our 
house and went away. It was found after- 
wards in the ruins. The oflicer still urg- 
ing one of the women to mount his horse, 
another one came up, when a flerce en- 
counter of words occurred between them. 
Said the flrst one, ''Tlie Yankees never 
treated our people this way." The other 
replied, "Yes they have; have they not 
been throwing Greek Fire and every other 
kind of fire into Charleston ?" Drawing 
too the door and locking it, leaving the 
accumulated treasures of many years— 
lurniture, bedding, clothing, books, pic- 
tures, mementoes and gifts of dear depart- 
ed ones, all, all, we left lest we could not 
get out of the Diamond if we taried longer. 
Leaving the oflicer weeping at the door, 
we ran around past the Hall and Court 
House — the flames leaping and bursting 
forth everywhere, and passed out East 
Market street to the residence of my 
brother, H. E. Hoke, which was not 
burned and where many homeless ones 
gathered that day. The rebel officer who 
wanted one of tlie women to mount his 
horse, followed us around as far as the resi- 
dence of Mr. D.O.Gehr, pleading for one of 
them to accept of his offer, and then turned 
sorrowfully away. When we reached the 
front of the residence of Mr. B. F. Nead, 
another one rode up at a gallop, and or- 
dered me to hand him the carpet bag 
which I carried. I told him it contained 
nothing but a few articles of clothing and 
we could not part with them. He replied, 
"Have you not some things there that 
you brought from your store ?" The vil- 
ain had seen us leaving the house, and 



supposed that we had money or other val- 
uables taken from the store. My wife 
spoke up and said, as he pressed his horse 
nearly upon us, "There is nothing in that 
bag but a few articles of clothing which 
we saved from our burning home, and you 
can't have them." This was said in so 
decided a tone, and with so much earnest- 
ness that the villain, fearing that he 
would miss other chances of plunder by 
longer parleying with us, turned away and 
left us. 

The Court House was fired by placing 
two or three barrels of kerosene taken from 
a neighboring grocery, under the stair- 
way at the southwest corner of the 
building. When we passed it the flames 
were rolling up the stairway and burst- 
ing out of the door and windows of the 
west end. The ringing of the bell on that 
building that morning proved to be its 
death knell. It never sounded out its fa- 
miliar tones again. It, like the temple of 
justice over which it hung, and our homes 
all went down in honor ; for be it known, 
the insulting demand to contribute money 
to be used for the overthrow of our grand 
and glorious government, to consider 
which, this bell on that. occasion rung by 
rebel hands, sounded forth its call, was noi 
even considered. 

As we passed out East INfarket street that 
morning, here and there on both sides, 
houses were on fire, and the street was 
filled with the drunken and infuriated sol- 
diers. They seemed to be as demons from 
the infernal" pit. All along that street the 
occupants of the houses were endeavoring 
to carry articles to places of safety. 
The people were running wildly through 
the street, carrying clothing and otherar- 
ticles. Others were dragging sewing ma- 
chines and articles of furniture. Children 
were screaming after their parents, and 
parents were frantic after their children. 
The feeble ettbrts of the aged and infirm 
to carry with them some valued article 
from their burning homes, were deeply 
distressing. The roaring and crackling of 
the flames, the falling walls, the blinding 
smoke, the intense heat intensified by the 
s(!orching sun, all united to form a picture 
of the terrible which no pen can de- 
scribe nor painter portray. It was such a 
sightas no one would desire to witness but 
once in a lifetime. 

Arriving at my brother's, we with sever- 
al others who had fled there for refuge, 
sat down and for about three hours watch- 
ed the awful scene. The burning mass ap- 
peared to converge toward the Diamond, 
forming at one time a fearful whirlwind, 
which, in a huge cone-shaped column, 
moved eastwardly from the Diamond along 
Market street. In the grounds around the 
dwelling of William McLellan, Esq., were 



I i6 



Reminiscences of the War 



gathered a laree aoioiiiit of bed-clothing, 
weariug apparel, &c. Tliis column passed 
over some of these, and with a tremendous 
whirl they were taken up and carried 
away. A wel) of muslin was caught and 
as it unrolled, wns carried up and like a 
huge auger or corkscrew shaped column it 
stood for an instant and then fell to the 
earth. A child, about four or live years 
okl, was caught in this whirlwind anil lift- 
ed about five or six feet from the ground. 
It was a grand and fearful scene and added 
no little to the terror of the people. 

About 11 o'clock the rebels left the town 
fearing Averill, whose scouts captured live 
of the enemy near the eastern outskirts of 
the town. About 1 o'clock my wife and I 
started out to hunt up her two sisters. We 
found one of them after a short search at 
the residence of Colonel Boyd on Federal 
Hill. The other we did not find for sever- 
al hours. She had filled two trunks with 
clothing, and leaving one in the house 
dragged the other about one hundred yards 
and then returned for the other, which 
she in like manner dragged to where she 
had left the first one. While thus engag- 
ed in alternately dragging these trunks up 
the alley leading from Market street, west 
of the Diamond, and southwardly across 
Queen street, a rebel otlicer riding along 
took one of the trunks on before him and 
conducted her on down one square south 
of the Reformed church where we found 
her with the little she had saved. 

About 2 o'clock Averill's command 
passed through town, coming in East Mar- 
ket street and passing on westwardly in 
pursuit of the enemy. The men as they 
rode through the Diamond and saw the de- 
struction, vowed vengeance upon the per- 
petrators of the dastardly act. 

And now with a view to place upon re- 
cord the scenesenacted in other parts of the 
town, I will give statements made by sev- 
eral of our citizens of their experiences 
and observations on that terrible day. In 
a book written by Mr. Thomas L. Wilson, 
entitled "The Cruelties and Atrocities of 
the Rebel liou," I find accounts by Hon. 
F. M. Kimmell and Dr. J. C. Richards, 
which I transcribe. Judge Kimmell says: 
"I reside on West INIarket street, nearly in 
the heart of the town. It was known the 
day before (Friday) that the rebels had 
crossed the river and wereat Mercersburg, 
fifteen miles southwest of the town. But 
we were all lulled into a false security by 
the fact that, when Stuart and Lee invad- 
ed the State before, strict orders were given 
not to molest private property or citizens. 
As a consequence, we rested quite easy, 
not dreaming that they would burn our 
houses, and drive us mercilessly from our 
home. The citizens generally were pre- 
pared to have their places of business pil- 



laged. A little before six o'clock on Sat- 
urday morning, having heard some shells 
whizzing through the town, I went out to 
my front stoop, and was there joined by a 
neighbor. \\\ about half an hour thereaf- 
ter, or less time, perhaps, two men emerg- 
ed from an alley next to my house, when 
Mrs. Aughinbaugh, another neighbor, who 
was standing by, thinking them citizens, 
asked if they were fleeing. Their answer 
was an oath and a coarse laugh. I re- 
marked, 'Those are rebels.' At this mo- 
ment I lieard the clanking of arms, and 
looking westward, saw a body of mounted 
infantry and cavalry marching into town. 
As near as I can judge, there were between 
four and five hundred men. I then went 
to an upper chamber of my house for the 
purpose of securing some valuable papers, 
and while so engaged, I heard the rebels 
say as they passed, that they were going 
to burn the town. At seven and ahalf 
o'clock, I looked out and saw a new three 
story building opposite in flames. Several 
men approached, and I heard one tell Mrs. 
Aughinbaugh to get outof the way as they 
were going to fire her house. Her pra vers 
and entreaties for time tocollect a fewarti- 
cles of clothing, were of no avail. Withmy 
daughter, who had got a change of appar- 
el, I started out the back way, and con- 
ducted her to a place of safety on a hill, 
from which position I distinctly saw the 
rebels dashing in a fiendish manner 
through the streets and firing the houses. 
Women with children, each carrying lit- 
tle packages of clothing, were fieeing in 
every direction. The sight was fearful, 
and the horrible scene chilled my blood. 
The day was clear and calm, but the burn- 
ing houses created a draught, and the roar 
was prodigious. Pickets were stationed at 
the street corners to prevent the people 
from even attempting to save their prop- 
erty. From intimations that we had of 
their approach the night previous, it was 
deemed prudent to remove all the records 
from the county Court House, and the 
books and money from the bank. I passed 
through the picket line unmolested, though 
many citizens were driven back. Had no 
conversation with any of the crowd. Find- 
ing that I could not save any of the burn- 
ing property, I returned to the hill, and 
remained there until the rebels left. The 
citizens would willingly have joined inde- 
fending the place, but we had noarmsand 
no leader, and moreover felt that it would, 
unless aided by some organized body, have 
been uselessly sacrificing ourselves to have 
gone out against this band of cut-throats, 
thieves and incendiaries. We were in- 
formed that the main force of the rebels, 
two thousand five hundred strong, were 
drawn up in line of battle on one of the 
hills beyond the town ready for any emer- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



117 



geucy. Ill uiy opiuion the demand for 
money was a mere pretext. 1 believe they 
intended destroying the town in the out- 
set." 

The statement of Dr. Richards is as fol- 
lows : — "Boon after the rebels had entered 
the town, I was standing outside of my 
door, when Mr. Douglas came up and said 
that he had just seen McCausland, who 
told him to call some of the prominent 
eiti/eus of the town together. He de- 
manded live hundred thousand dollars in 
greenbacks, or one hundred thousand dol- 
lars in coin, and said if it was not paid, he 
would burn the place. I was perfectly in- 
dignant at such a demand, and said I 
would not give a cent if they sacked and 
burned my property. Mr. Douglas re- 
marked : — 'They'll put the thumb-screws 
to us, doctor. McCausland is in earnest, 
for 1 saw it in his face.' I paid no more 
attention to the matter, but set out to see 
my patients. Between seven and eight 
o'clock I met Mr. Thomas B. Kennedy, 
and while talking with him was arrested. 
They also arrested J. McDowell Sharpe, 
William H. McDowell, William McLellan 
and Mr. Kennedy. At this moment Har- 
ry Gilmore rode up and said : 'Gentlemen, 
you are my prisoners, and I shall take you 
to Libby Prison, as you have made no re- 
spouse to the call for five hundred thou- 
sand dollars levied by General Early.' He 
then called lor a guard to conduct us to 
the Court House. Knowing him by sight, 
I said, 'Gilmore, I wish you to understand 
that we are gentlemen, and that our word 
is as good as your guards. We will go with 
you without a guard.' He said he sup- 
posed it was, but a guard was customary. 
\Ve accompanied him to the Court House 
and there lie was joined by McCausland, 
who repeated the order of Early, demand- 
ing live hundred thousand dollars in 
greenbacks, or one hundred thousand dol- 
lars in coin. .Some of the citizens had 
previously, I understood, asked to see the 
order, when McCausland read it, and also 
another order to burn the town. I did not 
see them or hear them read. After a short 
parley between McCausland and Gilmore, 
the latter said,' Gentlemen, you are releas- 
ed.' Walking up to him 1 put my hand 
on his horse's mane, and said, 'Gilmoi'e, 
you know that your demand for money is 
ridiculous nonsense. The county alone 
could not pay it, let alone the town.' 
Straightening himself up in his saddle, he 
said, with an ostentatious air, 'I'll tell you 
what it is; we came out of our regular 
route with the sole purpose of burning 

your town in retaliation for what 

Hunter did in the Shenandoah Valley.' 
He then galloped otraud superintended the 
firing of the Court House and bank. My 
daughter escaped with only one change of 



clothing, and I saved only wliat I had on 
my back. Everybody in the place would 
have gladly joined in resisting the rebels, 
but we could have done nothing against 
such an armed band of cut-throats and 
thieves. The county had been so literally 
drained of young men that women and 
children had to go into the fields. We had 
no arms, and even if we had, we wouUl 
have been indiscriminately slaughtered, 
and our families left to the mercy of the 
brutal horde. 

"The town was fired in at least fifty i)Ia- 
ces, and it is my belief that they designed 
burning the place whether or not the de- 
maud for the money was complied with. 
I never before saw men act with such flen- 
dishness, and gloat on the misfortunes of 
the women and children rendered house- 
less and homeless .by their vandalism. The 
entire scene was the most horrible I ever 
witnessed. The screams of the women 
and children, the yells of the drunken sol- 
diers and the roaring and crackling of the 
burning buildings were terrible. In many 
instances women were compelled to throw 
down small bundles containing only cloth- 
ing, and several of these packages I saw 
the rebels toss into the flames, swearing 
that nothing should be taken away." 

Col. A. K. McClure, in the Franklin 
BeposUory ^ of Aug. 24th, 1864, relates the 
following : 

"The main part of the town was enveloped 
ill flames in ten minutes. No time was given 
to remoA'^e women or children, or sick, or even 
the dead. No notice of the kind was commu- 
nicated to any one ; but like infuriated fiends 
from hell itself the work of destruction was 
commenced. They did not have anything to 
learn in their hurried tirade — they proved ex- 
perts in their calling. They divided into squads 
and fired every other house, and often every 
house, if they presented any iirospect of plun- 
der. They would burst in the door Avith iron 
bars or heavy jjlank, smash up any furniture 
with an axe, throw Huid or oil upon it, and ply 
the match. They almost invariably entered 
every room of each house, rified the drawers of 
every bureau, ajipropriated money, jewelry, 
watches and any other valuables, and often 
would present pistols to the heads of inmates, 
men and women, and demand money or their 
lives. In nearly half the instances they de- 
manded owners to ransom their pi-operty, and 
in a few cases it was done anil the property 
burned. The main object of the men seemed 
to be plunder. Not a house escaped rifling — 
all w^ere plundered of anything that could be 
(iarried away. In mo.st cases houses were en- 
tered in the rudest manner, and no time what- 
ever allowed even for the families to escape, 
mucli less to save anything. Many families 
had the utmost difliculty to get themseh^es and 
children out in time, and not one-half had so 
much as a change of clothing with them. They 
would rush from story to story to rob, and al- 
ways fire the building at once in order to keep 
the family from detecting their robberies. Fee- 



ii8 



Reminiscences of the War. 



ble and helpless women and cliildreu were 
treated like brutes — told insolently to get out or 
burn ; and even the sick were not spared. Sev- 
eral invalids had to be carried out as the red 
tiames licked their couches. Thus the work of 
desolation coutinued for two hours ; more than 
half the town was on fire at once, and the wild 
glare of the flames, the shrieks of women and 
children, and often louder than all the blasphe- 
my of the rebels, conspired to present such a 
scene of horror as has never been witnessed by 
the present generation. No one was spared 
save by accident. The widow and the father- 
less cried and plead in vain that they would be 
homeless and helpless. A rude oath would 
close all hope of mercy, and they would fly to 
save their lives. The old and infirm who tot- 
tered before them were thrust aside, and the 
torch applied in their presence to hasten their 
departure. So thoroughly were all of them 
master of the trade of destruction that there is 
scarcely a house standing in Chanibersburg to- 
day that they attempted to burn, although their 
stay did not exceed two hours. In that brief 
period, the major jiortion of Chambersburg— 
its chief wealth and business, its capital and 
elegance — were devoured by a barbarous foe ; 
three millions of property sacrificed ; three 
thousand human beings homeless and many 
penniless ; and all without so much as a pre- 
tense that the citizens of the doomed village, or 
any of them, had violated any accepted rule of 
civilized warfare. Such is the deliberate, a'oI- 
untary record made by Gen. Early, a corps 
commander in the insurgent army. The Gov- 
ernment may not take summary vengeance, al- 
though it has abundant power to do so ; but 
there is one whose voice is most terrible in 
wrath, who has declared, 'Vengeance is mine ; 
1 will repay.' "' 

Rev. Joseph Clark iu an article contrib- 
uted to the Presbyterian of Aug. 6th, 1864, 
says : 

"The burning was executed in the most ruth- 
less and unrelenting manner. A squad of men 
would approach a house, break open the door, 
proceed to the most convenient part of the house 
and kindle a fire, with no other notice to the 
inmates, except to get out of it as soon as they 
could. In many cases, five, ten, fifteen min- 
utes, were asked to secure some clothing, which 
were refused. INIany families escaped with only 
the clothing they had on, and such as they 
could gather up in their haste. In many cases 
they were oiot allowed to take these, but were 
threatened with instant death if tliey did not 
cast them away and flee. Sick and aged peo- 
ple had to be carried to the fields. The corpses 
of one or two persons who had recentlj^ died, 
were hastily interred iu the gardens, and chil- 
dren, separated from their parents, ran wildly 
screaming through the streets. Those Avhose 
stupor, or eagerness to save something, detain- 
ed them, emerged with ditticulty from the 
streets filled with the sheeted flames of their 
burning homes. I should say here, that no 
provocation had been been given ; not a shot 
was fired on them in entering the town, and 
not until the full crisis was reached, did despe- 
ration, in a few instances, lead to desperate 
acts, and a few of the incendiaries left their 
bones to smoulder in the ruins. 



"As to the result, I may say that the entire 
heart or body of the town is burned. Not a 
house or building of any kind is left on a space 
of about an average of ten squares of streets, 
extending each way from the centre, with some 
four or five exceptions, where the buildings 
were isolated. Only the outskirts are left. The 
Court House, Bank, Town Hall, German lie- 
formed Printing Establishment, every store 
and hotel in the town, and every mill and fac- 
tory in the space indicated, and two churches, 
were consumed. Between three and four hun- 
dred dwellings were burned, leaving at least 
twenty-five hundred persons without a home or 
a hearth. In value, three-fourths of the town 
was destroyed. The scene of desolation must 
be seen to be appreciated. Crumbling walls, 
stacks of chimneys, and smoking embers, are 
all that remain of once elegant and happj' 
homes. As to the scene itself, it beggars de- 
scription. My own residence being on the out- 
skirts, and feeling it the call of duty to be with 
my family, I could only look on from without. 
The day was sultry and calm, uot a breath 
stirring, and each column of smoke rose black, 
straight and .single ; first one, and then anoth- 
er, and another, and another, until the columns 
blended and commingled ; and then one vast 
and lurid column of smoke and flame rose per- 
liendicular to the sky, and siiread out into a 
vast crown, like a cloud of sackcloth hanging 
over the doomed city ; whilst the roar and the 
surging, the crackling and the crash of falling 
timbei's and walls broke upon the still air with 
a fearful dissonance, antl the screams and 
sounds of agony of burning animals, hogs and 
cows and iforscs, made the welkin horrid with 
the sounds of woe. It was a scene to be wit- 
nessed and heard once in a lifetime." 

Rev. S. J. Nieolis, at that time pastor 
of the FalUut; Spring Presbyterian church 
at this place, contributed a graphic de- 
scription of the great event to the Pitts- 
burg Evening Chronicle, from which I 
quote as follows : "As McCauslaud releas- 
ed the citizens he had arrested, the smoke 
was rising from the doomed town, and 
most of them reached their homes to find 
them in flames. The scene that speedily 
followed is indescribable in its horrors. 
The soldiers went from house to house, 
bursting open the doors with planks and 
axes, and entering, split up the furniture 
to kindle the lire, or else scattered com- 
bustible materials in the closets and along 
the stairways, and then applied the torch. 
In a little over half an hour the whole 
town was fired, so complete were the ar- 
rangements to accomplish their hellish 
designs. No time was given the inhabi- 
tants to save anything. The first warning 
of danger most of them had was the kind- 
ling of the (ire in their houses, and even 
the few articles that some caught up in 
their flight, were seized by the soldiers and 
flung back into the flames. Many such 
instances have come to the writer's knowl- 
edge, that in their dark malignity almost 
surpass belief. The aged, the sick, the dy- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



119 



ing and the dead were carried out from 
their burning homes; mothers with their 
babes in their arms, and surrounded by 
the frightened little ones, fled through the 
streets jeered and taunted by the brutal 
soldiery. Indeed their escape seemed al- 
most a'miracle, as the streets were in a 
blaze from one end to the other, and they 
were compelled to flee through a long road 
of Are. Had not the day been perfectly 
calm (not a strong breeze prevailing, as 
some correspondents iiave stated), many 
must have perished in the flames. The 
conflagration in its height was a scene of 
surpassing grandeur and terror. A tall, 
black column of smoke rose up to the very 
skies; around it were wrapped long stream- 
ers of flames, writhing and twisting them- 
selves into a thousand fantastic shapes, 
while through it, as though they were 
prayers carried heavenward by the in- 
cense of some great altar saeriflce, there 
went upon the smoky flame-riven clouds 
thecriesaud shrieks of the women and chil- 
dren, But the moment of greatest alarm 
was not reached until some of the more 
humane of the rebel cflicers warned the 
women to flee if they wished to escape vi- 
olence to their persons. We cannot, in 
this letter, describe the scenes of the sad 
flight which followed. 

"The ferocity of the rebel soldiers during 
this aflair seems almost incredible. With 
all their fierce passions unrestrained, they 
seemed to revel, as if intoxicated, in the 
work of destruction. After firing' the 
houses, they robbed all who fell into their 
hands. An aged elder of the Presbyterian 
church (Mr. Holmes Crawford,) was taken 
from his house and robbed ; the building 
was fired while his wife, aged and infirm, 
was still in it. Upon his return, it was 
with the utmost difficulty she was saved. 
p]scape by the street was impossible, and 
they were compelled to fiee to a little gar- 
den in the rear of the house, where they 
sat for hours, surrounded by fire. The 
rebel Gilmore forbade a lady to remove 
her trunks from her house, and upon her 
telling him to his face what slie thought 
of his conduct, he drew his pistol and de- 
clared 'he would blow out her brains if she 
did not take that back.' Many such in- 
stances, and worse might be recited. There 
were, indeed, some amontr them who act- 
ed humanly, refusing to do the work as- 
signed them, but they were exceptions. — 
As soon as the town was thoroughly fired 
the rebels fell back. On their way out 
they burned the residence of the County 
Superintendent of Public Schools, because, 
as they told the family, 'he had taught 
negroes.' 

"Such is the storyof the burning of Cham- 
bersburg. These outlines, however form 
a poor picture of the reality. The black- 



end ruins of this once beautiful town must 
first be seen to (before the calamity can be 
understood, and not then, for it is only by 
looking at it in detail, by understanding 
the peculiar sadness there is in each separ- 
ate loss, and seeing the strange diversity of 
sorrow there is in this common woe, that 
one can realize the full extent of the ruin. 
Eleven squares of blackened ruins and over 
three millions of dollars in property con- 
sumed is the outward estimate of the loss. 
But who can write the history of two 
thousand people suddenly made homeless, 
dashed from affluence to poverty, torn 
violently from the sacred association of 
the past, and driven forth homeless wan- 
derers among strangers ?" 

Many deeply interesting and touching 
incidents which occurred in various places 
throughout the town might be narrated, 
but I have room but for a few. Some of 
these I copy from Dr. B. 8. Schneck'a 
Burning of Cliambersburg , from which 1 
have taken some of the statements already 
given. The house of Mr. James Watson, 
an old and feeble man ofover eighty years, 
was entered, and because his wife earnest- 
ly remonstrated against the burning, they 
tired the room, hurled her into it and 
locked the door on the outside. Her 
daughters rescued her by bursting in the 
door before her clothes took fire. Mrs. 
Conner, the widnow of Ha Union soldier, 
who had no means of support, got on her 
knees and begged them save her and her 
little ones from the fury of rebel wrath ; 
but while she was thus pleading for mercy, 
they fired her little home, and stole ten 
dollars from her— the only money she had 
in the world. Mr. Wolfkill, a very aged 
citizen, and prostrated by sickness, so that 
he was utterly unable to be out of bed, 
plead in vain to be spared a horrible death 
in the flames of his own house ; but they 
laughed at his terror and fired the building. 
Through the superhuman efforts of some 
friends he was carried away safely. Mrs. 
Lindsay, a very feeble lady of nearly 
eighty, fainted when they fired her house, 
and was left by the fiends to be devoured 
in the flames ; but fortunately a relative 
reached the house in time, and lifting her 
in a buggy pulled her away while the 
flames were kissing each) other over their 
heads in the street. Mrs. Kuss, the wife 
of the jeweler on Main Street, lay dead ; 
and although the rebels were shown the 
dead body, they plied the torch and burned 
the house. Mrs. Shryock was there with 
Mrs. Kuss' dying babe in her arms, and 
plead tor the sake of the dead mother and 
dying child to spare that house, but it was 
unavailing. The body of Mrs. Kuss was 
buried in the garden, and the next day it 
was taken uo and interred in the Catholic 
graveyard. 'When the flames droye Mrs. 



I20 



Reminiscences of the War. 



Shryock out with the child, she went to 
one of the men and presenting the dying 
babe, said: "Is this revenge sweet?" A 
tender chord was touched, and without 
speaking a word he burst into tears. He 
afterwards followed Mrs. Shryock, and ask- 
ed her whether he could do anything for 
her ; but it was then too late. The babe 
had died and it shared its mother's sepul- 
chre. Mrs. Ijouis A. Shoemaker rushed up 
stairs when her house was fired, and re- 
turned with some silver spoons in her 
hand. She found the rebels quareling over 
a valuable breast pin of hers, several claim- 
ing it by right of discovery. The dispute 
was ended by taking the spoons from her 
and dividing them among the squad. Mrs. 
Denig failing to leave her house in the 
Diamond in time, and finding all escape 
cut off but in one direction, vainly tried 
to cross an iron fence in that direction, and 
was compelled to remain in her garden for 
several hours because the fence was too hot. 
She saved herself from destruction by cov- 
ering herself with a blanket, which she 
occasionally dipped into a cistern to keep 
it wet. Mr. Holmes Crawford was taken 
into an alley while his house was burning, 
and his pockets rifled. All he had about 
him was appropriated. Father CuUen, 
Catholic priest, was robbed of his 
watch. He was sitting on his porch, and 
a party of rebels came along and peremp- 
torily demanded his watch, which he was 
compelled to hand over. He had been rob- 
bed by Jenkin's men a year before. Rev. 
H. B. Winton, while fleeing with his wife 
and children was compelled to deliver his 
shoes and hat. 

Soon after the work of destruction had 
commenced, a squad was detailed to burn 
the beautiful residence of Col. McClure. 
It stood nearly a mile from the centre of 
the town, and no other building was fired 
within half a mile of it. The squad was 
commanded by Capt. Smith, son of Gov. 
Smith of Virginia. Passing the residence 
of Mr. Eyster, he supposed he had reached 
the object of his vengeance, and he.'alighted 
and met Mr. Eyster at the door. "Col. 
McClure, I presume," said Capt. Smith. 
"No, sir; my name is Eyster," was the 
reply. "Where is McClure's house V was 
the next interrogatory. As the property 
was evidently doomed, and in sight, Mr. 
Eyster could only answer that it was fur- 
ther out on the road. Capt. Smith found 
Mrs. McClure quite ill, having been con- 
fined to her bed for ten days previous.— 
He went right up into her room and in- 
formed her of the object of his visit. He 
stated that she should have ten minutes to 
get out of the house. He then ordered her 
to open her secretary, the house having 
already been fired, and proceeded to exam- 
ine its contents. In this secretary was a 



letter writen by a rebel prisoner, invoking 
the blessing of heaven upon Mr. and Mrs. 
McClure for kindness shown to him when 
here with Lee's forces a year previously. 
Reading this letter Capt. Smith said, 
"This is awful to burn this house," and 
and then went into other parts of the 
house and stole Mr. McClure's gold watch, 
a large silver pitcher, salver and two gob- 
lets, and other valuable articles. Mrs. Mc- 
Clure was compelled to arise from her sick 
bed, and with other occupants of the house, 
start on foot amidst the blazing heat of 
the sun to a place of safety. Capt. Smith, 
when riding back to town, and finding the 
silver pitcher and salver too unwieldy, 
and their possession under such circum- 
stances not entirely in harmony with his 
pretentions to the usual Southern chivalry, 
stopped at the residence of Rev. James 
Kennedy, and handing them to Mr. Ken- 
nedy, said, "Please deliver these to Mrs. 
Col. McClure, with my compliments. — 
She presented them to me for acts of cour- 
tesy shown her." The two silver goblets 
belonging to this set he had strapped to 
his saddle; these, the gold watch, and 
other articles this sorry specimen of South- 
ern nobility carried away with him. After 
receiving the pitcher and salver Mr. Ken- 
nedy entreated the captain to spare his 
house because of his being blind. This re- 
quest was complied with, and as a protec- 
tion against other parties whomightcome 
along. Capt. Smith wrote and left with 
Mr. Kennedy the following paper which 
he has framed and hanging up in his house, 
and whiph he has permitted me to copy : 

('HAMHERSiUTRO, Jiily 29tL, 1864. 
llev. ,Tas. F. Kennedy's house is not to be 
Lnrned — positive! j' forbidden. 

Bv order of Brig. Gen. McCausland. 

F. W. Smith. 
A. A. D. C. 

Col. Giimore says on page 213 of his book 
that Mc(;auslaiid"'s men "were inclined to 
plunder." He might have added that the 
officers were not excepted from this charge, 
of which the paper drawn by Captain 
Smith, and kept hanging uiion the wall of 
Dr. Kennedy's room is a perpetual evi- 
dence. 

Various causes may be stated as to why 
certain portions of the town were spared. 
One reason was the fear of Averill. The 
rebels were aware that he was not for 
away, and might come upon them at any 
moment. Then after firing the heart of 
the town, their line of retreat from the 
eastern part would have been necessarily 
circuitous. J think, however, that the 
principal reason was because the officers 
in charge of s(iuads sent to those parts 
which escaped, disapproved of this wan- 
ton destruction and, contrary to their or- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



121 



(lers, refused to perform the part assigned 
them. This will appear in the following 
facts. Dr. J. L. Suesserott, in McCauIey's 
history of Franklin county, narrates the 
occurrences of that memorable day, which 
took place on the corner of Main and 
Washington streets, as follows : 

"South Main Street on that eventful occasion 
presented a scene that can scarcely be depicted. 
The streets were crowded with carriages, and 
the houses with women and children who had 
been driven from their homes by the fiery ele- 
ment, which in lambent flames licking each 
other, had formed a scorching archway over 
the streets north of Washington street. The 
retreating mass, still unwilling to yield their 
household goods without a struggle, with defi- 
ance on their countenances, witlidrew incli by 
inch, as would a well organized army before a 
relentless foe. When the refugees that had col- 
lected into my house were about to depart, sat- 
isfied that it too must fall before the flood of 
de.struction, I, at the request of a sister now de- 
ceased, went to my desk to secure any valuable 
papers that might have been overlooked, and 
finding a travelling flask of whiskey, which 
had been placed there after a former flight to 
save my horses from the raiding rebels, and 
feeling that I might need some medicinal agent 
as I expected to have a large number of heliJ- 
less women and children under ray care, placed 
it in a side pocket, but it was scarcely thereun- 
til it became a source of great anxiety to me, 
inasmuch as the rebels were appropriating the 
liats and handkerchiefs, and all other movea- 
ble efl:ects of the citizens, and as my handker- 
chief covered the flask, I expected that if it 
were taken the flask would soon follow, and 
become the cause of much injury. By a little 
extra care, however, I was enabled to protect it 
until my attention was engrossed by <a more 
weiglity consideration. My surgical instru- 
ments, which had been placed in a .secret cuji- 
Itoai'd behind the hall door, had been discover- 
ed by the rebels, w^ho were then swarming in 
and out of the office and hall, aiul in their ef- 
forts to force the locks of the cases they had 
thrown them on the floor near the open door. 
Noticing an oflicer near the fronton horseback, 
1 accosted him as Colonel, and informed him 
tliat if called upon in the capacity of a sur- 
geon I would be unable to render any service, 
as his men were di.sabling me. The officer or- 
dered them to lay the instruments down and 
come out of the house. This order was hardly 
complied with, and the door closed, until he 
countermanded it, saying that the instruments 
would be useful to the Confederacy ; and in 
their eagerness to receive them the mey were 
about to break through the door, when I, with 
a dead-latch key, opened the same. They had 
scarcely begim to gather them up when they 
were again ordered to lay them down and come 
out, and instructions were given to close the 
door. I was then called to the side of the of- 
flcer, who informed me that there were ten 
men with them who did not belong to the army 
who would save the balance of the town if $20,- 
000 were immediately forthcoming. I politely 
informed him that it was cruel to mock a crip- 
pled foe, and that he must know that he was de- 
manding that which it was impossible to fur- 



nish. He then demanded $10,000, and then 
$5,000, and was informed that not five dollars 
would be paid. He then replied that it would 
all have to go. 

A man without any military insignia was 
noticed near by, who during a great portion of 
the time that the rebels had been in the occu- 
pancy of the town, was seen to exert a great 
influence upon the men, was interrogated as to 
who the departing officer was, and he replied 
that he was Colonel Dunn. The flask that had 
caused so much anxiety was politely handed to 
him, with a request that he would share it with 
Colonel Dunn, and press the petition that the 
fire might be stopped. With great alacrity he 
started, but soon returned with a flat denial 
from Colonel Dunn. The whiskey had, howev- 
er, made a fast friend out of the individual, who 
proved to be a John Gallon, from Baltimore, an 
independent aid on General Johnston's staff. 
Colonel Dunn soon returned to the scene and 
was again importuned, but was as obstinate as 
ever. He advanced as far in a northward di- 
rection as the flames and heat would allow, and 
on being driven back by the same, said to me 
that we might now stop the fire if we could. 
The houses on the northeast and northwest cor- 
ners of Main and Washington streets were a 
mass of flames, as well as all the northern por- 
tion of the town, as far as could be judged 
from the locality we were in, and the cornices 
and roofs of the houses on the opposite corners 
were smoking and ready to ignite when I hur- 
ried three of my neighbors — Miss Charlotte 
Oyster, William H. Mong and P. Dock Frey 
through the hou.se to the garret with buckets of 
water, who, by unsurpassed agility and ener- 
gy, quenched the already developing flames, 
and with the assistance of a friendly rebel, we 
got the only remaining fire engine to the scene 
of conflict. After the engine arrived, on two 
or tliree occasions, heartless rebels attempted to 
arrest its working, but they were quickly dis- 
]iosed of through the agency of the whiskey- 
bought fi-iend, who, together with .some other 
rebels, who were not entirely lost to all feelings of 
humanity, rendered v.aluable assistance at the 
engine until the report reached them of the 
advance of General Averill l)y way of New 
Franklin, four miles distant, when a hasty 
departure of the invading fiends was inaugu- 
rated." 

Mr. H. E. Hoke furnishes the following 
statement of what occurred about the cor- 
ner of Second and Queen streets, and the 
way the M. E. church, Market House and 
other property south and east thereof were 
saved. Mr. Hoke's statement is as fol- 
lows : 

"Late in the morning when the fire in other 
parts of the town was well under way. Rev. 
Mr. Barnhart, pastor of the M. E. church, and 
then living in the parsonage adjoining tlie Mar- 
ket House, noticed a rebel in the act of kind- 
ling a fire in the back part of that building. 
Going over at once he succeeded in extinguish- 
ing it with a bucket or two of water. The act 
of firing this building was repeated three times 
in the course of half an hour, and each time 
was put out by Mr. Barnhart. About 9 o'clock 
a rebel officer came there and ordered that fir- 



122 



Remmiscences of the War. 



ing at that point slinnld be stopped. He de- 
clared with muoli eanit'stiiess that if an other 
hnilding in th.it mitrhliorhood was tired tliat he 
wonhl In-ing in his briuiuh- and unite with the 
citizens and driv<' tlie incendiaries out. At 
this time tlie building on the vsontliwest corner 
oi^posite the Market J-Iouse, was burning, and 
the roof of tlie hotel on the n(U-tluvest corner 
was taking tire. This oflictn" then ordered that 
the fire engine, close by, .should 1>e brought out 
and the fire prevented from crossing to the oth- 
er side of the street. He also called together 
a number of rebel soldiers, who were in the 
neighborhood, and ordered them to assist the 
citizens in working the engine. The large cis- 
tern under the iiavement of the Market House 
furnished an almndance of water, and for about 
a half hour citizens and soldi<>rs worked to- 
gether to keep the tire from spreading. The 
rebels were then called away, and our force be- 
ing Aveakened, we found it hard work to keeji 
the engine going, but we worked on until .some 
of the men had to lie down on the pavcnuent, 
overcome by exertion and heat. It was only 
through th(! determined ettbrt of a few persons 
that the fire w^as prevented from crossing the 
street to the M. E. church, Market House and 
other buildings. Water was poured \\\^o\\ the 
hotel until it ran in streams out of all the doors, 
but the roof burned slowly away and part of 
the upper story, Avhen we succeeded in extin- 
guishing it. Just before the officer named had 
ordered out the engine, several ladies came out 
of the parsonage carrying bundles of clothing, 
&c. A rebel .soldier seeing this, inquired of 
them where they wanted those bundles takim '.' 
When informed that they only wanted them 
reinoved to a place of safety, he took them up 
before him on his horse, and carried them out 
(iueen street near to the Point, and then deliv- 
ered them to the ladies. This man ga^-e Ids 
name to llev. Mr. Barnhart. He said he Avas 
from Baltimore, and was opposed to such A-an- 
dalism as their forces had been guilty of that 
day. 

"After we had succeeded in extinguishing 
the fire at the hotel, Ave felt assured that it 
could not spread any further— about 10,\; o'clock 
— I noticed that the house of S. M. Armstrong 
Esq., and those adjoining, Avere just taking 
fire. They evidently had not been fired by the 
rebels, but were catching at the roof from the 
heat of the burning buildings on the opposite 
side of the street. A .small force of men could 
haA^e saved these buildings, but that much 
needed force was not at hand." 

That part of the town east of the rail- 
road along Market street was saved in the 
following manner. An officer detailed to 
fire that part of the town called at the res- 
idence of Wilhani McLellan, Esq., and 
notified them that their house must be 
burned. This was after the heart of the 
town was iu flames, and the roads were 
streaming with homele.ss women and chil- 
dren. Mrs. McLellan stepped to the door 
and laying one hand on the shoulder of 
the oflicer, and pointing with the other to 
the frantic fugitives passing by, and seated 
all around in adjoining yards, said to him: 
"/S'/r, isnot your vengeance glutted ? We 



have a home and can get another ; but can 
l/ou spare no Jiomesfor those poor, helpless 
people and their children ? When you 
and 1 and all of i/s sJndl meet he/ore the 
(ireat Judqe, can yoa Justify this actV 
The ofi^icer made no reply, but ordered his 
command away, and that part of the town 
was saved. 

The large brick house which stands on 
the northeast corner ofMarket and Frank- 
lin streets, at the time of the fire, oc- 
cupied by the family of Mr. Samuel Rada- 
baugh, was saved in the following man- 
ner : The wife of Mr. B. L. ISlaurer was 
at that time quite ill and confined to her 
room in the house. Mr. Maurer stated 
this fact to a Confederate officer, wlio at 
once placed a guard at the house and pre- 
vented it from being fired. Standing some- 
what isolated from other buildings, it was 
not burned. 

Colonel F. S. Stumbaugh, who resided 
on Second street, between Market and 
King, was arrested near his home early in 
the morning, and with a pistol presented 
to his head, ordered to procure some whis- 
key. He refused, for the good reason that 
he had none and could get none. He was 
released, but afterwards re-arrested by an- 
other squad, the officer naming him, and 
was insulted in every possible way. He 
informed the officer that he had been in 
the service, and that if General I'attles 
was present, they would not dare to insult 
him. When asked why, he answered, ''I 
captured him at Shiloh and treated him 
like a soldier." A rebel major present, 
who had been under General Battles, upon 
inquiry, was satisfied that Colonel Stum- 
baugh's statement was correct, ordered his 
prompt release, and withdrew the entire 
rebel force from that part of Second street, 
and no buildings were burned there. 

Dr. Schneck, in his Burning of Cham- 
hcrsburg, relates a few additional instan- 
ces of humanity upon the part of some of 
the rebels, which deserve a place here. 
"•Surgeon Budd was conversing with sev- 
eral citizens when the demand for tribute 
was made, and he assured all present that 
the rebel commander would not execute 
h's threat. In the midst of his assuran- 
ces, the fiames burst forth almost simulta- 
neously in every part of the town. When 
he saw the fire break out, he wept like a 
child, and publicly denounced the atroci- 
ties of his commander. He took no part 
in it whatever, save to aid some unfortu- 
nate ones in escaping from the flames. 

Captain Baxter, formerly of Baltimore, 
peremptorily refused to participate in the 
burning, but aided many people to get 
some clothing and other articles out of 
their houses. He asked a citizen as a spe- 
cial favor to write to his friends in Balti- 
more and acquit him of the hellish work. 



Reminiscences of the War. 



123 



Kurgeon llicbardson, another Baltimor- 
ian, gave bis horse to a lady to get some 
articles out of the burning town, and pub- 
licly deplored the sad work of McCaus- 
land. When asked who his commanding 
officer was, he answered, 'Madam, I am 
ashamed to say that General McCausland 
is my commander.' 

Captain Watts manfully saved all Sec- 
ond street south of (|ueen, and with his 
command aided to arrest the flames. He 
said that be would lose his commission 
rather than burn out defenseless people. 

One whole company was kept by its 
captain — name unknown— from burning 
and pillaging, and the southeastern por- 
tion of Chambersburg stands solely be- 
cause an officer detailed there kept his 
men employed in aiding people." 

An otticer rode up to the United Breth- 
ren parsonage, in Washington street, and 
thus addressed Mrs. Dickson--her husband 
being absent: "Madam, save what you 
can ; in fifteen minutes I will return and 
fire your house." He did not return. 

After the rebels had left, the following 
note was received by Rev. S. J. Niccolls 
of this place. It was written with a pen- 
cil upon an envelope : 

llKV. Mu. Njccolls : — IMwise to write to my 
father and give him my love. Tell him, too, 
as INIrs. 8)ioemakcr will tell yon, that 1 was 
most .strenuously opposed to the l)urniug of the 
town. " j;. P.. P>LAIK, 

Chaplain, awl son 0/ Thos. P. Hhdr, I'^'hip- 
petisburr/, I'a. 

Many incidents of an interesting char- 
acter, in addition to those already given, 
might be narrated, but I will only add a 
few: Among the hosi)itals in our town 
during the period of the war, was one in 
the building on the southeast corner of 
Main and German streets. The evening 
before the destruction of the town a con- 
siderable amount of government stores 
were in that building. These the steward 
and surgeon in charge turned out into the 
street, and desired the (luartermaster to 
take charge of them. As tliese articles 
were all packed in boxes, and tlieir con- 
tents unknown to that official, he refused 
to receive them. Seeing these valuable 
stores thus left to be appropriated or de- 
stroyed by the coming enemy, simply be- 
cause of the red tape which was in the 
way, Mrs. Margaret Merklein, who resid- 
ed on the opposite corner, had the boxes 
rolled into her cellar, where, her house not 
being burned nor searched, they were pre- 
served. The government subsequently 
rewarded her in a considerable sum as 
salvage. 

On the evening before the town was 
burned, and while the straggling soldiers 
of General Hunter's command were pass- 



ing through, some of the family of Mr. B. 
F. Nead, who resided then and now on 
East Market street, were sitting on their 
door step. An oflrtcer of the Federal army 
rode up and called for one of the ladies 
and told her that there was every proba- 
bility that there would be a fight between 
our troops and the enemy, and that lie 
had a favor to ask. He said be was the 
possessor of a very handsome sword that 
had been presented to him, which he val- 
ued very highly, and that he would be un- 
der many obligations to them if they 
would keep it safe for him. He said his 
name was Lieutenant McCron, according 
to the present recollection of the lady who 
participated in the affair. The sword and 
scabbai-d were very handsome, being sil- 
ver mounted, and very beautifully chased. 
The next day the house of Mr. Nead 
shared in the general conflagration, and 
the incident was forgotten. Sometime af- 
ter the fire, Mr. Benjamin M. Nead, in 
hunting through the ruins in the cellar, 
came across the sword and part of the 
scabbard, fire-wrecked, but still showing 
the tracing of the etching on the blade. 
Nothing was ever heard of Liutenant Mc- 
Cron, but the sword still remains in the 
possession of Mr. Nead's family. 

On the morning of the fire, Mr. David 
Brand, brother to our townsman, Mr. Ja- 
cob L. Brand, took the flag which hung 
in front of (-'ol. llutherford's headquarters 
in the Mansion House, from its staff and 
carried it to his home on Q,ueen street. 
While the rebels were firing Queen street. 
Miss Jiouisa Brand, his sister, took the 
fiag, and wrapping it around her, and with 
revolver in hand, stood in the front door 
of their house and dared any rebel to fire 
the house or disturb the flag. She passed 
unmolested and the house was not burned. 
That flag is now in the possession of the 
wife of Mr. A. (J. McGrath, to whom Miss 
Brand presented it before her death. 

Mr. Jacob L. Brand, relates the follow- 
ing : ''I had in my store twenty kegs of 
powder. I did not know what to do with 
it. 1 fell upon the following plan : I had 
Mr. George Palmer clerking for me, and I 
had liim make an excavation in my gar- 
den large and deep enough to set the kegs 
in upon their enils and cover them with 
boards and then earth thrown over. 
There were a large number of old boxes 
and barrels which we piled upon this so 
that no one would detect it. When the 
fire reached these 1 was expecting any 
moment for an explosion and got out of 
the way, taking my wife and child and 
passed up by the M. E, church. When I 
was on the way I was ordered to take off" 
my boots, and hesitating for a few 
moments, the rebel said that if I did not 
take them ofT he would do it for me. I 



124 



Reminiscences of the War. 



bad $125 tied around me, and I thought I 
had better comply as I might be in danger 
of losing my money as well as my boots. 
1 had just pulled them off and the rebel 
tried them on, but they were too small for 
him, when the Baptist preacher in town 
passed, and he was ordered to take off his. 
I took advantage of this, and picking up 
my boots, made my way out of the town 
in my stocking feet. I had no desire to 
wait to see the matter consummated be- 
tween the rebel and the preacher. We 
struck out for the eastern partof the town. 
The next day we examined the powder 
we had hid, and thinking all danger past, 
we raised the boards and found all right. 
But coals of fire had passed down through 
the crevices and knot holes in the boards. 
and we could see where the fire had burnt 
a quarter of an inch into the heads of 
some of the kegs." 

Upon the release of the citizens who had 
been captured and taken in front of the 
Court House by Col. Gilmore, to hear from 
McCausland the requisition upon the 
town, Mr. M. A. Foltz and Mr. E. G. 
Etter started out east Market street to 
their respective homes. When they 
reached the alley by Mr. D. O. Gehr's res- 
idence, Mr. Etter proposed to take that 
way in preference to the street as being 
safer because of the swarming rebels who 
were in it. Mr. Foltz assured him that 
they would be safer in the street, and 
pressed on that way, but Etter took the 
alley. When he reached his home his 
wardrobe had been reduced to his panta- 
loons and shirt, which some rebel who 
had met him on the w»y considerately 
permitted him to retain. This was the 
l)enalty for being one of the "leading citi- 
zens," for such General McCausland or- 
dered Col. Gilmore to bring before him. 
Mr. Etter says that however he may have 
filled the bill when captured and taken to 
the Diamond, his appearance after his in- 
terview with the rebel in the allej' did not 
specially indicate superior rank. 

An incident occurred on South Main 
street, somewhere between Washington 
and German streets, which, while illus- 
trating the humanity of one of the foe, 
also shows into what an unpleasant posi- 
tion one of our citizens was placed. 
Learning that a man lay with the small 
pox in one of the houses indicated, a rebel 
to whom the communication was made, 
fearing that that part of the town would 
be also fired and the sick man burned to 
death, went into the house, took him in 
his arms, bore him to the street and plaaed 
him carefully wrapped in bed clothing in 
a wheelbarrow, compelling a young man 
— Mr. P. O'Hare — who was passing by, to 
wheel him away to a place of safety. Mr. 
O'Hare reluctantly performed the duty 



assigned him, and reaching a place where 
he supposed the man was safe from the 
flames, he left him. 

Mr. Lewis Wampler informed me that 
standing in the middle of the street, in 
front of his residence opposite the Keform- 
ed church, while the fire was raging, he 
could see clean down to the Diamond — 
nearly three squares. The flames from 
the houses on both sides of the street met 
and formed an archway. In and about 
the Diamond it seemed to converge and 
formed an immensecolumn or dome. An 
hour or so after the rebels had left and the 
fire had subsided, I passed down Main 
street from Washington to the Diamond. 
The dust upon the street was all gone, and 
the stones above ground were burned 
white. The heat was so intense that 1 
had to cover my face at times with my 
handkerchief and run. 

There stand four houses on the west 
side of Main street, between Queen and 
Washington , which strangely escaped the 
general destruction. The inmates of these 
houses had means of escape which no oth- 
ers in other parts of the town had. They 
had but to pass out in the rear of their 
lots and take refuge in the liutheran 
graveyard, where they would have been 
safe from the fire. Mr. A. V. Reineman 
informs me that hard work and the favor- 
able wind, under the blessing of God, sav- 
ed these houses. Rebels plundered his 
jewelry store, selecting the most showy, 
but the cheapest articles, leaving the fine 
and costly untouched. In some instances 
the cases containing expensive articles 
were taken, but the contents, which were 
of great value, were thrown out and left. 
A fancy clock in the form of a robust man, 
with the dial upon his stomach, kept in 
his show window as a sign, was carried 
away by a rebel, but after some time the 
repentant soldier brought it back and 
placed it where he had found it. Mr. 
Reineman assures me that he was impress- 
ed, divinely as he devoutly believes, that 
his property would not be destroyed, and 
his confidence was not disappointed. 

Rev. S. R. Fisher, D. D., informed me 
that he determined to remain in his house 
and save it if he could. Having first ex- 
plored the rear of his premises and finding 
that in case he were compelled to flee he 
could escape into the Lutheran graveyard, 
he accordingly carried a number of buck- 
ets of water up into the attic of his house, 
and watching through the trap door for 
any place where the shingles became 
ignited, immediately extinguished it and 
then retreated back under shelter to escape 
the bullets which were several times fired 
at him from a distance. His house was 
not burned. 

Mr. John Jeffries relates that fire was 



Reminiscences of the War. 



\2 



kiutiled in the telegraph ottice in the low- 
er rooms of, the Mansion House, then the 
printing establishment of the Reformed 
Church. Seeing this fire he ran in and 
kicked the blazing wood, which the rebels 
had split and piled upon the floor, out 
upon the front pavement. A rebel officer 
passing by caught him in the act, and led 
him up to General McCausland, who stood 
upon the corner where the lamp post 
stands in front of Messrs. Lortz & Wolf- 
inger's grocery. McCausland said, "How 
dare you interfere to put out the fire r"' 
To this Mr. Jeffries replied, "That, sir, is 
the printing establishment of the Reform- 
ed Church, and I was trying to save church 
property, and by all civilized people 
churches and church property are respect- 
ed in time of war." Mr. Jeffries says he 
did not tell McCausland that his own 
property was next to the Mansion House, 
and that he had an eye to saving it as well 
as the other. To Mr. Jeffries' remark that 
that building was church property, Mc- 
Causland replied, "Why, sir, that's a tele- 
graph office and no printing establish- 
ment." After Mr. Jeffries succeeded in 
convincing the General that the property 
was really a publishing house of the Re- 
formed Church, and that the telegraph 
oHice and other lower rooms were only 
rented to other i^ersons, he gave permis- 
sion to save it. It was, however, soon 
thereafter fired in the rear and entirely 
consumed entailing a loss upon that church 
of about $40,000. 

Dr. Schneck in his book relates the fol- 
lowing : "A lady well known to me, the 
mother of a large family of children, was 
ordered to leave the house in five minutes, 
as it must be burned. 8he collected her 
children around her to obey the cruel 
summons. Preparations were at once 
made to fire the building in the rooms 
above and below, and as the family group 
walked out of the large and beautiful man- 
sion, the children burst into weeping. 'I 
am ashamed of you,' said the tenderly 
loving, yet heroic woman, 'to let these men 
see you cry,' and every child straightened 
up, brushed away his tears, and bravely 
marched out of the doomed house." 

"An elderly woman, of true Spartan 
grit, gave one of the house burners such a 
sound drubbing with a heavy broom, that 
the invader retreated, to leave the work 
of destruction to be performed by another 
party, after the woman had left to escape 
the approaching flames of adjoining build- 
ings. 

"The wife of a clergyman succeeded in 
preventing one of the enemy from firing 
her house by reminding him that she had 
fed him during Stuart's raid in 1862, and 
that she had also ministered to him when 
he was in the hospital in this place in the 



summer of 18()o. The man recognized her 
and frankly declared that he could not be 
so base as to destroy her house, now that 
he remembered her kind offices. He had 
been wounded and made a prisoner at the 
battle of Gettysburg, was brought to the 
hospital here and afterwards exchanged." 
Those familiar with the town will re- 
member a two story log house which 
stood on West Market street, between 
Miller's Hotel and the residence of Hon. 
G. W. Brewer, and which Was torn away 
a year or two ago when the new street was 
cut through from Market to King. This 
house, it will be remembered, notwith- 
standing the inflammable nature of the ma- 
terial of which it was constructed, and the 
fact that every other building around it 
was consumed, strangely escaped. The 
fact itself excited considerable surprise, 
and many have been the causes assigned. 
There is a secret fact in the case which 
has never, so far as I am aware, been 
made public. That fact, with the papers 
relating thereto, has been laid before me 
by the relatives of the owners and occu- 
pants at that time, and I place them upon 
record here, leaving others to account for 
the phenomena as they can. The late Dr. 
Boyle frequently related that the two 
aged ladies who occupied that little log 
house at the time of the fire — Mrs. Eliza- 
beth Smith and Lydia Etter — sisters of our 
former townsman, Mr. Samuel Etter, with 
others found their way to the field in 
which Reservoir hill stands, from which 
eminence the assembled multitude looked 
upon the burning of their homes. The 
spectacle, as may be readily imagined, was 
a sad one to all, but apparently less so to 
the two persons named. After the retreat 
of the rebels and partial subsidance of the 
flames. Dr. Boyle remarked that he would 
go into the town and learn the extent of 
the ruins. Mrs. Smith insisted upon 
going with him to see her house. To this 
the doctor objected most strenuously say- 
ing that of course her house was destroyed 
with the rest. "No," said she, "it can't 
be." The old lady consented to remain 
yet awhile on the hill, only on the promise 
of the doctor that he would be sure to go 
into her house and see if everything was 
right. Scarcely giving the matter another 
thought, he proceeded to town and went 
down West Market street amidst the yet 
smouldering ruins, when to his surprise 
and gratification there stood the little log 
building intact. The fences all around 
were clean burned up close to the house, 
but it was unharmed. On entering it noth- 
ing appeared to have been disturbed. As- 
cending the stairs to the garret, several 
quilts were strung on a line. These 
showed the marks of having been fired, 
and that was all. The source of the abid- 



126 



Reminiscences of the War. 



ing confidence of these two old ladies that 
their home was not and could not be de- 
stroyed, was perhaps never known to Dr. 
Boyle, and is known to only a few to 
whom it was afterwards communicated. 
They had in their possession a paper or 
document on which were printed certain 
words, which they belieyed was a sure 
preventative against fire, and the little 
building, as long as it stood afterwards, 
was a monument to their belief. The 
paper itself is now before me. It is print- 
ed in German, upon coarse, heavy paper, 
and bears the marks of considerable age. 
Before me is also a translation made by, 
and in the handwriting of Jlev. B. S. 
Schneck, D. D., who was long and inti- 
mately acquainted with the two old 
ladies and who had been let into the secret 
of their confidence. The doctor made the 
translation, but so far as I know, never 
gave an opinion as to the merits of the 
case : 



us in tliis t«iTihlo tire calamity, and si>are 
these l;)Ouii(ls and liordiU'S froni all disease and 
pestilence. 



( Traitslatioti.) 

A TKUE AND TKIED ART WHICH MAY BE SUC- 

CESSEITLLY USED IX TIMES OF FIRE 

AND PESTILENCE. 

This was discovered by a Christian Gipsy 
King of Egypt. In the year 1714, , June loth, 
there were executed six Gipsies in the King- 
dom, of Prussia. But the seventh, a man 80 
years old, was to he executed with the sword 
on tlie 16tli day or June. Fortunately for him, 
however, a lii"e broke out suddenly, and the old 
Gilisy was released and taken to the tire, to 
try his art, which he did to the astonishment 
of all, as the tire was extinguished in lialt' a 
quarter of an hour, uiion which, after having 
tlius given such satisfactory prout, his life was 
spared ami was set free. This was ;,ilso adj udg- 
eil to be so by the Itoyal Prussian Government 
and the General Superintendent at Koenigs- 
burg, and made public jn print. First printed 
in Kcenigsburg, in Prussia, by Alexander 
Bauman, in 1715. 

"Welcome, thou fiery Guest, grasii no furth- 
er than thou hast. This do i (lount for your 
penitence!, O tire, in the name of the Father, 
the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 

1 commaiul thee, tire, by God's power, which 
maketh all things, that thou hall and proceed 
no further, so sure as Christ stootl at tlie Jor- 
dan, when John the holy man baptized him. 
This I reck(jn to your penitence, < ) tire, in the 
name of the holy Trinity. 

I command thee. Fire, by the jtower of God, 
that thou allayest thy tlame, as sure as JSIary 
of all women maintained her Virginity — there- 
fore restrain thy fury, (J lire, iu the name of 
the most Holy Trinity. 

I command thee, Fire, that thou wilt abate 
thy heat, by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, 
which He shed for us, for our sin and misery. 
This I lay to your penitence, O fire, in the 
name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. 

Jesus of Nazareth, a King of the Jews, help 



"Whoever has this pai)er in his house, will 
not sutler from lire, nor fx-om damage by light- 
ning ; aud whoever has this paper in his house, 
or carries it with him, is safe from the fearful 
Pestilence." 



It is, at least, a singular coincidence 
that in another case, which has been 
brought to my knowledge, another proper- 
ty as much exposed and inflammable as the 
one already referred to, was saved and 
stands to-day to the amazement of all who 
are familiar with it, and that, too, in con- 
nection with another paper on which 
were written the following words from 
Isaiah xijii, 2— "When thou passeth 
through the waters, I will be with thee : 
and through the rivers, they shall not 
overflow thee : when thou walkest through 
the fire, thoushalt not be burned ; neither 
shalt the flame kindle upon thee." I give 
these circumstances as evidences of the 
credulity, or as some might say, the faith 
of the persons, leaving each one to form 
his own conclusion. 

When the town was fired and the peo- 
ple compelled to leave, some found shelter 
in those parts upon the outskirts which 
were not burned. The large majority fled 
to the Cemetery and fields around town, 
where they sat and looked upon the awful 
scene. Nearly every one had a bundle or 
some article which they had saved from 
their burning home, and which they kept 
watch over. In carrying trunks, bundles 
and articles of furniture through the 
streets to places of safety, feats of strength 
and endurance were wrought which seem- 
ed almost superhuman. Feeble women 
carried articles which, under ordinary cir- 
cumstances, they could scarcely have lift- 
ed. Some climed fences, and in some 
way unknown to themselves or others, 
took with them these heavy articles. I 
saw myself a woman carry and drag a 
melodeon from her house, and upon plac- 
ing it were for the time it was supposed 
to be safe, she ieft it and in a short time 
came dragging a heavy i)arlor carpet. 

It has been said by some of the writers 
from whom I have quoted, that the wo- 
men and children wept and cried and 
wrung their hands in anguish. Some did 
exhibit considerable emotion and excite- 
ment, but taking into consideration the 
awful circumstances under which we were 
placed, and the fact that many had been 
in a tew hours reduced from affluence to 
poverty, not having either home or food 
or a change of clothing, the courage, cool- 
ness, resignation, and even cheerfulness, 
and in some cases, the mirthfulness, were 



Reminiscences of the War. 



127 



indeed extraordinary. Two young men 
who were passing a yard where a consid- 
erable number of homeless ones were con- 
gregated while the lire was in progress, 
addressing several of their comrades whom 
they saw in the number, said, "Hello 
there ! Where do you fellows get your 
clean shirts now ?" This witticism drew 
a laugh from the whole crowd, and was 
shared in by many women and children 
who did not know where their next meal 
was to come from, or where they would 
lay their heads that night. This cheerful- 
ness was characteristic of the people 
throughout the entire period from the 
burning until they were enabled as best 
they could to recommence the world and 
reconstruct their homes. Bitting down in 
despair, or yielding to circumstances, and 
suHering the tidal wave to overwhelm and 
paralize, were entirely unthought of. Rev. 
Dr. Hchneck, in the Burning oj Cliambers- 
hnrf/, pages ;U— oB, records the heroism 
of our people in tlie following language: 
"During the whole course of my life, I 
have not witnessed such an absence of de- 
spondent feeling under great trials and 
sudden reverses of earthly fortune, never 
such buoyancy and vigor of soul, and 
even of cheerfulness amid accumulated 
woes and sorrows, as I have during these 
four weeks of our devastation. And I 
leave you (the reader) to imagine the 
many cases of extreme revulsion from 
independence and aflluence to utter help- 
lessness and want. The widow and fath- 
erless, the aged and infirm, suddenly be- 
reft of their earthly all, in many instan- 
ces, even of a change of clothing. Large 
and valuable libraries, manuscripts, the 
accumulation of many years, statuary, 
paintings, preciousand never tobe replaced 
mementoes, more valued than gold or silver, 
gone forever. And yet amid all these 
losses and the consequent self-denial and 
adaptation to another and entirely differ- 
ent state of things, to which the great ma- 
jority of the people have been subjected, 
you seldom see a sad or sombre counte- 
nance on the street or elsewhere. Excep- 
tions there were, doubtless, traceable in 
part to feeble, physical constitution, in 
part also to an inordinate love of and de- 
pendence upon transitory and evanes- 
cent objects. But in a general way, the 
sufferers by this wholesale devastation, are 
among the most patient, unmurmuring, 
cheerful, hopeful people I have ever 
known. God seems to have given special 
grace in a special time of need. "• * * I 
freely confess that I have never experi- 
enced in my own case, nor in the case of 
others, even under comparatively lightand 
trifling lossesand deprivations, such resig- 
nation, such quiet, gentle submission, and 
such calm endurance, amid the loss of all 



things, as in this instance. To such an 
extent have been these manifestations, 
that persons from neighboring towns, and 
strangers from a distance, who in great 
numbers have visited the place, almost 
universally remark upon it." 

When the fire was over the people who 
had taken refuge in the cemetery and 
fields around the town, came back to view 
the rema.ins of their ruined houses. Sad 
indeed were our feelings when we stood by 
the scene of desolation, recognizing here 
and there amidst ihe ruins some article, as 
the crooked and warped stoves and cook- 
ing utensils and other articles made of 
iron, which reminded us of the past. But 
when night came on and a place of shel- 
ter was needed, then only did we realize 
our sad condition. 8uch buildings as had 
escaped the common destruction were 
opened to us and occupied to their utmost 
capacity. Some of our people made their 
way on foot to the country, or to neigli- 
boring towns. And during the ensuing 
week hundreds availed themselves of the 
free transportation given by the railroad 
companies, and went to distant places, 
from which some never again permanent- 
ly returned. 

On the day succeeding the fire— Sunday 
31st — a number of our citizens convened 
at the residence of William McLellan, 
Esq., on East Market street. Rev. John 
R. Warner, who was present, conducted a 
religious service, after which the follow- 
ing appeal was drawn up, signed and tel- 
egraphed over the country : 

AN APPEAL TO THE BENEVOLENT CITIZENS 
OV THE NORTH. 

(1n the inorniug of the30tli of July, 18G4, the 
rebels under comiuand of General McCausland, 
with a force of five hundred men, entered 
('bambersburg, Pennsylvania, and demanded 
five hundred thousand dollars from the citizens, 
under a threat of burning the town. This requi- 
sition was in writing and signed by General 
-lubal Early. 

It is now established by indisputable proof 
that this demand was a mere pretext on the part 
of the marauders, to cover up a purpose, formed 
before they reached the town, to burn it the to 
ground without giving any time to remove the 
private property, and scarcely time enough for 
the citizens to remove tlKiir families. 

They tired the houses of our citizens in jjer- 
liaps fifty places. Upwards of two hundred 
aiul fifty in the heart of the town were con- 
sumed, iniiluding all tlie public buildings, 
stores and hot(;ls, comprising about two-thirds 
of a town containing six thousand inhabitants. 
Thus a large body of citizens are reduced from 
comjiarative wealth to absolute poverty. These 
famiIi(^s liavc lost all their bedding, and all 
their clothing except what they had on their 
persons. 

The loss will be largely over one million dol- 
lars. Without aid from abroad there will be 
great suffering in our commun ity. 



121 



Remmiscences of the War. 



The Itev. John K. Winner, of Gettysburg, 
providentially with ns at this time, is the ac- 
credited agent of the citizens for receiving sub- 
scriptions and contributions for our relief. 
F. M. KiMMELIi, 

Bernard Wolff, and many others. 

No sooner had this appeal been sent 
abroad and published, than some of the 
New York papers let loose their abuse upon 
us. The appeal stated that five hundred 
rebels had entered and destroyed the town 
without referring to the two thousand 
more, with six pieces of artillery, that 
were stationed upon the eminence west of 
the town. "What," said these editors, "a 
town of six thousand inhabitants, and the 
headquarters of a military district, and yet 
suffering five hundred rebels to burn them 
out! Why not rise up and drive the ras- 
cals away ?" Thus while a large part of 
our able-bodied men were away in their 
country's service, leaving but a few hun- 
dred here, and they without arms, and dis- 
cipline, and denied the use of the uniform 
and enrollment which would have secured 
to them treatment as prisoners of war, and 
not summary execution as guerrillas, we 
must not only be robbed and plundered 
and have our homes destroyed by the com- 
mon foe, but endure the reproaches of our 
professed friends. And these reproaches, 
too, coming from a city, which, with its 
population of three quarters of a million, 
could not keep its own rabble in subjec- 
tion, but had to call upon the general gov- 
ernment for assistance, and was only saved 
from destruction and plunder by a detach- 
ment from the army of the Potomac at a 
time when these men were needed to fight 
rebels in their front. And here it is but 
right and proper to put upon record the 
fact that some of our people throughout 
the country suffered more from the emer- 
gency men sent here for our assistance, 
notably from volunteers from this same 
city which then derided and insulted us, 
than from the invading rebels. Were I 
to place upon record all the instances of 
plunder and spoliation by these trops sent 
me by sufferers throughout the county, it 
would, or should, cause these editors to 
blush with shame for their countrymen. 
A correspondent from Greencastle writes 
that they took chickens and whatever 
they could lay their thieving hands upon, 
saying that they had left their homes and 
come here and had driven the rebels out 
of the State, and they were determined to 
have whatever they wanted, but when the 
sound of cannonading was heard in the 
direction of Williamsport, it was with 
difficulty their officers could prevent them 
from falling back to C'hambersburg. 

But the appeal sent forth by our despoil- 
ed and suffering people was not treated 
everywhere as it was by a few of the New 



York newspapers. Early in the mori ng af- 
ter the Are — Sunday Slst— people from all 
parts of the surrounding country and the 
neighboring towns, poured into Chambers- 
burg. Many of these brought bread and 
other provisions. The entire population 
of the Cumberland Valley, even before the 
call of our citizens was issued, were moved 
by one common impulse to hasten to our 
relief. When the people congregated in 
their houses of worship for religious serv- 
ice, their pastors dismissed them and sent 
them home to gather and forward food to 
our suffering people. Bread and other 
provisions were gathered at various pla- 
ces along the railroad, and a special train 
sent from Harrisburg gathered up these 
much needed articles and brought them to 
our town. With that train on that memor- 
able Sabbath, came large numbers of peo- 
ple from all points along the valley to see 
the ruins and to minister to our wants. 
These scattered all over the town and 
looked with astonishment upon the ruin 
wrought. Visitors to the town, drawn 
here by curiosity, or to look after friends 
and relatives, came in large numbers 
throughout the ensuing week, and loud 
and bitter were the denunciations of the 
rebels. The entire newspaper press of the 
country, secular and religious, with the 
exception of two or three of the papers of 
the city of New York, expressed their 
sympathy with our sufltering people, and 
relief was sent from Philadelphia and oth- 
er places. The immediate wants of the 
people were not only provided for, but 
provision had to be made for their assist- 
ance for the future. Provisions were not 
only needed, but clothing, hats, shoes and 
articles for housekeeping. These could 
only be had at exorbitant prices, and few 
had the means to purchase them. Muslin 
that can now be purchased for six and 
eight cents per yard, then cost sixty to 
seventy-five cents, and everything else in 
proportion. Considerable help in some of 
these things was sent from abroad, and 
housekeeping was recommenced by some 
on a greatly reduced scale from their for- 
mer condition. Provisions were furnished 
daily for a week or two by the military 
commander of the district. The ware- 
house of Messrs. Wunderlich & Nead was 
used for the storage of these articles, and 
committees of our citizens who had not 
suffered by the destruction of the town 
were appointed to receive and issue these 
to the people. Families were supplied ac- 
cording to the number of persons compris- 
ing them, or the number of destitute they 
sheltered and fed. It was no unusual 
sight during these memorable days, to see 
some of our citizens who had previous to 
the fire lived in affiuence, go day after 
day, basket in hand, to draw food for 



Reminiscences of the War. 



129 



themselves and families, and many who 
were strangers to want before were then 
compelled to battle with poverty and be- 
gin the world anew. What little relief 
the government gave was quickly con- 
sumed by the exorbitant prices which pre- 
vailed, and hard struggling with penury 
marked the closing days of many whose 
previous life gave promise of ease and 
comfort. Many of the most aged of that 
day have gone to the grave, leaving their 
families to take up the Intter struggle they 
endured, and carry it on until the end of 
their days. The sad effects of the burning 
of Chambersburg shortened the days of 
many, and is yet being felt by widows and 
children. 

On Friday succeeding the destruction of 
the town, August 5th, the culmination of 
the panics which had so fretiuently fallen 
upon us, was reached. During the inter- 
vening time since the fire, the rebels were 
reported to be hovering about the Poto- 
mac, threatening to return and complete 
the destruction of the town in retaliation 
for the killing of one or two of their num- 
ber here on their retreat here and along the 
road. On that day the report was made 
that they were coming. The railroad 
company placed a large train of cars at the 
disposal of the people, and all who desired 
to go away were permitted to do so. 
Nearly every person whose residence was 
destroyed, not already gone, and many 
whose homes were yet intact, fled to the 
depot. Many carried what little they had 
saved in the general destruction, and 
placed it in cars prepared for the purpose. 
The people came bearing heavy burdens, 
panting under the heat of the day and 
trembling with excitement. The cars 
were packed with a mass of frightened 
humanity. Many could not get seats. At 
Carlisle and Mechanicsburg some got out 
and remained with friends. AtHarrisburg 
they scattered, some went to Pittsburg and 
other places west, and others to Lancaster 
and Philadelphia and other places esist. 
Ijarge numbers tarried in Harrisburg not 
knowing where to go. It is said that 
that night Chambersburg people were 
laying down for much needed rest upon 
the floor of the depot at that place, and all 
about that building. Families were scat- 
tered abroad, and weeks intervened in 
many cases before they came together 
again. The panic of that day was with- 
out cause. The rebels did not make the 
dreaded raid ; and the few houses which 
had escaped the conflagration formed the 
nucleus for the Chambersburg of to-day. 

But the occurrences of what may be 
fitly called Chambersburg's "Black Fri- 
day," had their ludicrous as well as som- 
bre hues, which should not be entirely 
overlooked. Mrs. Ellen McLellan relates 



that during the hurry and excitement on 
that day, when people were trying to con- 
ceal from the expected rebels all their val- 
uables, which they could not take away 
with them in their flight, Mrs. Nixoli 
(?ame over to her house and said, "O, Mrs. 
McLellan, they say the rebels are coming 
l)ack, and are not going to leave even a 
chicken coop ; now if you have any things 
you want to hide, just bring them over to 
our house for we have a place to hide them 
where nobody would ever think of look- 
ing." Mrs. McLellan says she and her 
colored servant — a stout, heavy woman — 
gathered up their armsful of things and 
ran across to Mr. Nixon's with them and 
stored them away in the loft of a back 
building where Mrs. Nixon had already 
secreted a number of articles. The only 
entrance to this loft was by a trap door, 
and it was not floored. When the colored 
woman, who had been sent up through 
this trap door into the loft to place tlie 
articles, had gotten through and was hur- 
riedly endeavoring to make her way 
down, her feet slipped and she sat down 
rather ungracefully on bothsidesof a joist, 
and with her ponderous feet brought down 
nearly the whole ceiling, leaving all their 
valuables exposed to view. They had 
only to laugh at the occurrence and flee, 
leaving the articles to the foe should he 
come. 

Gradually the people regained their ac- 
customed confidence, and began to return 
and prepare for the approaching winter. 
Places of business were hastily improvised. 
Private houses about the Market House 
and North Second street, which had es- 
caped the flames, were turned into shops 
and stores. Sheds and temporary places of 
business were erecte<l along Second street 
from Queen to King, The bank resumed 
business in the front room of the dwelling 
then occupied by Mr. D. K, VVunderlich, 
but now by Dr. McLanahan,on Second 
street, near Queen, and subsequently in 
the Masonic Hall. The Post Oflice was 
kept by Mr. J. W. Deal in his residence 
on Second street, adjoining the property 
of Mr. Christian J^'uller. Families who 
once occupied a whole house to themselves, 
had to be content with two or three rooms, 
and many with less. But in a j'ear or 
two buildings were erected in rapid succes- 
sion.' Mechanics from all parts gathered 
here, and all found ready employment. 
Wages and building material were high, 
and most of the buildings then erected were 
put up at great expense. Many persons 
who builded then involved themselves in- 
extricably in debt, and others are reaping 
the benefits of their enterprise. But the 
Chambersburg of to-day, which arose from 
the ashes of the Chambersburg of the past, 
as is conceded by all, is the handsomest 



I^O 



Reminiscences of the War. 



town of the Cumberland Valley. If it has 
its equal anywhere in any town of its size, 
east or west, I have never seen it. 

The extent of destruction wrought by 
tiie burning of the town was as follows : 
Beginning at the Presbyterian lecture 
room on the north, the fire swept every 
building on the west side of Main street, 
but four, up to Washington street — four 
squares; from King street on ihe north 
side of Main, every building up to Wash- 
ington — three squares ; from the railroad 
on Third street to nearly the top of New 
England Hill — five squares — on both sides 
of the street, every buildins with a few 
exceptions ; also a few buildings over the 
top of New England Hill ; from the Mar- 
ket House down (iueeu street, both sides, 
to the Edge Tool Factory, and several 
buildings on Franklin street ; also several 
buildings on Second street, between Mar- 
ket and Queen. In addition to these other 
buildings standing away from the line of 
the fire were destroyed. Among these 
were the residence of Col. McClure, the 
barn of Mr. J. Eby, and the house of Mr. 
Mcllvain. The total number of buildings 
was 537. Of these 266 were residences 
and places of business, and 271 barns, 
stables and other outhouses of various 
kinds. As to the value of the real and 
personal property destroyed, the amounts 
received by our citizens, and also the 
question of who is responsible tor the de- 
struction of our town, I leave these for the 
ensuing chapter. 

As previously stated, the rebels with- 
drew from our town about 11 o'clock. 
They proceeded westwardly by the Pitts- 
burg pike, crossed the mountain into the 
Great Cove, and encamped over night at 
McConnellsburg. Averill's forces passed 
through town in pursuit about 2 P. M. 
They drove the enemy out of McConnells- 
burg on Sunday morning, pursuing them 
down the valley, and overtook them at 
Hancock Just in time to save that town 
from destruction. McCausland bad or- 
dered a levy ui>on the place of $.'!() ,000 
and in <'efaultof it he declared his inten- 
tion to burn the town. Col. Oilmore, to 
whom I am indebted for this information, 
says that after consulting with General 
liradiey T. Johnston concerning this de- 
mand and threat, he brought itito the 
town his command, and stationed two 
men at each house and store for their pro- 
tection. But before the order to set fire to 
the town was issued Averill appeared and 
the rebels fled. (Four Years in the Saddle, 
page 2i;')). Col. (Jilmore details the 
marches of these villains until fhey reach- 
ed Moorfield Valley, some time in August, 
where they were surprised one morning 
by Averill's men dashing in among them. 
The Federals slyly captured McCausland's 



pickets, and before the rebels were fairly 
aroused from their slumbers Averill's 
men were among them, cutting them 
down mercilessly to the cry of '•^emej/t- 
her Chamhersburg .' " " Reriieiaber Cham- 
hersburg .'" '•'•Surrender ^ you house-burn- 
ing villains,'''' and '■'■Kill every 07ie of 

them .'" The vow made by these men as 
they rode through the Diamond and 
beheld the widespread ruin, was remem- 
bered and kept. Col. Gilmore admits, 
upon page 221 of his book, that McCaus- 
land's men were greatly demoralized and 
unfitted [for vigorous resistance "because 
of the amount of plunder they were allow- 
ed to carry." That plunder, which in 
part insured their ruin, was taken from 
our houses and stores. A chaplain of one 
of the regiments of Averill's command, a 
personal friend of the writer, informed me 
of the terrible retribution visited upon 
McCausland's command at Moorfield, and 
how regardless of the cry, "We surren- 
der!" they were cut and shot down amid 
the cry of the Federal troopers, "CAa?n- 
bersburg ! ' ' Chamber sburg .' .' " " Cham- 
hersburg .'.'.'" He also said that nearly 
every rebel had either strapped to his sad- 
dle or somewhere about him a package or 
bundle, containing women's and child- 
ren's clothing, stockings, caps, etc., while 
their pockets were filled with watches, 
jewelry and other articles of plunder. 

Such was the burning of Chamhersburg, 
so far as the history of that fearful event 
can be written. But there is another his- 
tory of that event — a silent, secret, and un- 
written record, which cannot ever be told, 
for each family and person had an expe- 
rience which language can not portray. 
And it is with great reluctance that I now 
in conclusion reveal to my readers what 
occurred that never to be forgotten morn- 
ing, in my own humble home — an event 
which a sense of duty, as well as gratitude 
to God, forbids me to withhold. On the 
morning of the fire, while the rebels were 
breaking open the doors of stores and 
shops, 1 was called to my breakfast, a 
neighbor ofiering to take my place and 
call me when the enemy approached our 
store. As has been my custom for many 
years, I read a portion of Scripture and 
knelt with my family in our morning 
prayer. Doubtless directed by the Holy 
Spirit, I opened at the l.SSth Psalm, and 
when I read the words : '•'•Though I walk 
in the midst of IroulAe, thou wilt revive 
me: thou shaft stretch forth thine hand 
against the wrath of mine enemies, and 
thy rigid hand shall save me.'''' I was im- 
pressed with its extreme appropriateness. 
A fullness of meaning seemed to be in the 
words i had never seen before, and a 
strange and unaccountable, but very pre- 
cious sense of relief, of strength, of sup- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



\%\ 



port, stole iuto my heart, which stood by 
rue throughout the terrible ordeal which 
followed. L'esiriug to remeiuber the jjlaee 
1 turned down the leaf, knelt in prayer, 
ate a hurried breakfast — the last lueal in 
that dear place, and then in a short time, 
followed by my family, each one carrying 
some precious relic, we made our way 
through flame and smoke antl burning 
buildings, and shouting, infuriated rebels, 
to the suburbs of the town and there look- 
eil upon the awful scene. In theevening, 
after the fire was over, Mr. Anthony Hol- 
ler, then in our employ, came to me and 
told me that he had saved part of my 
library. He said that remembering that 
1 had a valuable library which I prized 
very much, he had taken a wheelbarrow 
and made his way by the lower end of our 
lot up to the house, and filling three small 
boxes with my books, started back by the 
same way. When lie was about halfway 
down the lot, and directly under a grape 
arbor, he was compelled to leave it and flee 
to escape destruction. The Court House, 
Hall, hotels, and our store, and the stables 
and fences, were all on fire, and fearing 
that if he did not at once seek safety in 
flight he would be so hemmed in by fire as 
to be unable to escape, lie dropped the 
wheelbarrow and fled' After the fire he 
went back to ascertain what had become 
of the books, and although everything 
combustible around was burned, the grape 
arbor and vines gone, the fences and out- 
buildings gone, and even the apples on the 
trees roasted and burned to a crisp, the 
wheelbarrow witli its precious freight was 
safe. Upon being informed of this I 
inquired of him if he had saved my 



Bible ? He at once conducted me to the 
residence of Mr. Christian Fuller, on Sec- 
ond street, where he resided, and where 
he had taken them, and upon examininjr 
the books I found my Bible with its turn- 
ed down leaf. Some of the books which 
were upon the tops of the boxes bore 
marks of the lire. The leatiier binding of 
one or two was burned through, and one 
large book which was open and upon 
which Hakes of fire had fallen, was burned 
and scorched througli eight or ten leaves. 
My family that morning consisted of four 
persons, three of whom have since passed 
away, and I alone remain, but that Bible, 
with its turned down leaf as I turned it 
that morning, is still kept as a valuable 
and precious treasure. 

Chambersburg was founded, according 
to the inscription upon the tombstone of 
its founder, Col. Benjamin Chambers, in 
the cemetery of the Falling Spring Pres- 
byterian church, A. D., 1764, and was 
burned in the centennial of its existence, 
A. D., 1864. The beautiful country in the 
midst of which it stands was rescued from 
desolation by the thrift and industry of 
our fathers; the success of the cause for 
which the rebels fought would have turn- 
ed the tide of its prosperity backwards to- 
wards its original wilderness. That success 
was denied them, and civilization and 
morality and religion triumphedover bar- 
barism, immorality and oppression, and 
in this consummation the burning of 
Chambersburg bore its part. It was part 
of the price paid for the grand and glori- 
ous result finally achieved. The question 
of responsibility will be considered in my 
next chapter. 



CHAPTER XIV, 



RESPONSIlilLITY I'Oli THE BUKNINO OF CHAMBERSBURG. 



General Couch, the commander of the 
military district, as well as the people of 
Chambersburg, has been blamed for the 
destruction of the town. The injustice of 
this censure will be shown in this chapter. 

Apprehending that the greatest danger 
which would threaten his department, 
was from raiding parties across its south- 
ern border. General Couch, shortly after 
the establishment of his headquarters in 
this place, set about making such prepa- 
tions as he could to meet them. He first 
urged upon the citizens the necessity of 
forming organizations for home defense. 



These calls were promptly responded to 
and various companies formed. The 
General then made application to the War 
Department, asking that the persons thus 
organized might be armed, uniformetl and 
enrolled by the government, so that in 
case of their capture they would be treated 
as prisoners of war, and not summarily 
dealt with as guerillas. This request was 
denied. He then proceeded to organize a 
cavalry force for border defence from what 
was known as the "Six Months' Men," 
and many enlisted in this organization. 
But this force was scarcely in readiness 



I 1,2 



Reminiscences of the War. 



for service before if, was taken from his 
department and sent to the Army of the 
I'otomac. General Couch next organized 
what was designed to be the "Provost 
llegiment," for special service along the 
border, and in a short time twelve hundred 
men were enrolled, organized and equip- 
ped. These, too, were at once ordered 
elsewhere by the Secretary of War. Early 
in the summer of 18(j4, when the usual 
time of raids drew near, the General re- 
newed his request of the previous year for 
the enrollment and uniforming of the citi- 
zens, but was again refused. And during 
the month of July, when General Early 
was invading Maryland, and threatening 
this place, the General organized six rei^i- 
ments of one hundred day men who had 
responded to the call of the Government 
for volunteers specially to meet the emer- 
gency, but they too were ordered to AVash- 
ington. These facts are given, not to cen- 
sure the general government, for the safety 
of the National Capitol, then sorely men- 
aced, was of more importance than our 
border, but in justification of both the 
General commanding this district and the 
people as well. 

Our un preparedness for the blow that 
was about to fall upon us, will fully appear 
in the fact, that during the time of the 
invasion of Maryland the whole available 
force in the Department did not exceed 
three hundred men ; and at the time of 
McCausland's raid, when our town was 
laid in ashes. General Couch had but one 
liundred and tldrtij-Jlvc under his com- 
mand. Thus it will be seen that while 
we had a military department, well and 
ably officered, we were without troops, 
and that too at one of the most exposed 
and oftenest raided places, and in one of 
the most threatened i)eriods. 

"But," it has been said, "why did not 
the citizens unite' with the military, and 
drive the invaders away, or at least hold 
them in check until assistance could have 
been sent them?" The utmost that the 
town could have done would have been to 
have added probably four or five hundred 
persons to the one hundred and thirty-five 
soldiers here. These would have been the 
old and the young, and without organiza- 
tion or arms. The number of invaders is 
accurately known, for they were counted 
upon their retreat through St. Thomas. 
They numbered about 2,800. Of these 
eight hundred and (hirf>/-07ie,Siii ascertain- 
ed by actual count as they entered the 
town, came into the place and burned and 
plundered us. The remaining two thous- 
and, with six pieces of artillery, stood in 
line of battle upon the hills, a mile, or a 
mile and a half from the Diamond of the 
town, their guns so planted that the place 
was entirely at their mercy. Now what 



could five liundred undisciplined, unor- 
ganized, and unarmed citizens, assisted by 
one hundred and thirty-one tried soldiers, 
with buttwo pieces of artillery, accomplish 
against twenty-eight liundred veterans 
lilie McCausland's, with their battery of 
six pieces ? To have driven the invaders 
back, those hills west of the town must 
have been held, or once in the enemy's 
possession, they must have been re-taken. 
To have succeeded in either would have 
required a force at least equal to that of 
the foe ; and to have attempted either 
with the few persons here, would have 
been sheer madness. 

"But, were there not troops along the 
Potomac, who might have prevented this 
raid, or who might have been called upon 
to drive the invaders back ?" There were 
troops along the river, but they were 
needed there to prevent the crossing of 
larger bodies of the enemy who were con- 
stantly threatening to cross over. Besides 
these troojis were under the command of 
Generals Hunter and Crooks, and not at 
all subject to the orders of General Couch. 
That the troops failed to prevent the 
passage of McCausland's invaders, is for 
others to answer. Upon an extended line 
like that of our southern border, with so 
many fords to the river and biding 
places among the valleys by which they 
could steal upon us, it was exceedingly 
difficult to prevent occasional raids. 

Again it may be said, "Why did not 
General Couch stop the large number of 
stragglers from Hunter's command, who 
passed through the town on the even- 
ing before the fire, and unite them with 
the troops he had and defend the place?" 
Those stragglers were badly demoralized, 
and many of them without arms. But 
suppose that they had all been stopped and 
added to the few troops here, in connec- 
tion with the citizens, would any military 
man risk his reputation by saying that 
they would have acted wisely in attempt- 
ing resistance ? Besides this Geijeral 
Couch at that early hour in the evening 
had every reason to suppose that Averill, 
of whose proximity he was aware, would 
come on for our protection. 

"But what induced General Averill to 
encamp over night near Greencastle when 
he knew that McCausland was marching 
at that time upon Chambersburg ? And 
why did he fail to respond to the repeated 
despatches sent him during the early 
evening and night by General Couch, in- 
forming him of the threatening situation, 
and urging him to come on at once? 
And why did he, the next morning, 
march eastwardly away from Chambers- 
burg, and go all the way to Greenwood, 
nearly ten miles east of town, before he 
turned the head of his column toward us, 



Reminiscences of the War. 



-^ZT^ 



tiud that, too, with the evidence of the foe 
here in the fact of the darkened heavens 
witlj the volume of smoke from our burn- 
ing town ?" That General Averill could 
have prevented the destruction of our 
town, liad he come on here, is proven in 
the fact that at the mere rumor of his ap- 
proach while the work of destruction was 
in full progress, the rebels withdrew from 
the town and left in haste ; and when he 
approached McConnellsburg and subse- 
(jueutly Hancock, they again fled before 
him. 

That General C!ouch did intend to with- 
stand the rebels had Averil come on, and 
tiiat he did use every possible effort to 
liave him come, will ciearly appear in the 
following statements: Col. A. K. McClure, 
in Dr. Schneck's Burning of Chatnbers- 
hurg, page 8, says: "General Averill pos- 
sibly might have saved Chambersburg, 
and I know that General Couch exhaust- 
ed himself to get Averill to fall back from 
Greencastle to this point." Col. T. B. 
Kennedy says that he was with General 
Couch at his headquarters during the 
whole night, until about 8 o'clock in the 
morning when he left town. The Gener- 
al was kept informed of the approach of 
the rebels and their progress toward town, 
by Lieut. Mcliane, who with his company 
of cavalry fell back from before the ad- 
vancing foe all the way from Mercersburg 
to this place. And he was exceedingly 
anxious to have Averill comeon here, and 
knowing that he was somewhere near 
Greencastle, he sent despatch after des- 
patch to him, but failed to get any reply ; 
and it was only after he had entirely 
abandoned all hope of getting him to come 
on that he left to escape capture. 

Two facts must be kept in mind, which 
will in part explain the reason why Aver- 
ill did not respond to General Couch's 
request. General Averill was under 
orders from General Hunter and was not 
responsible to General Couch. He was 
also pressed by another lorce, which had 
entered Hagerstown and was threatening 
him from that direction ; and it was prob- 
ably to prevent his being caught between 
that force and McCausIand's that induced 
him to march ten miles eastwardly before 
he turned his column and came this way. 
But while not subject to the orders of 
General Couch, he was yet under obliga- 
tions to pay some attention to the pressing 
despatches of the commander of the dis- 
trict in which he was. Military courtesy, 
to say nothing of the necessities of the 
case, would have required him to notice 
the despatches sent him. "Why he failed 
in this particular will appear in the fol- 
lowing facts furnished by Thomas R. 
Bard, Esq., once a resident of this place, 
but now an Attorney-at-Law in Calitor- 



nia. Mr. Bard's statement is as follows : 

HUENEMK, Ventura CO., Cal., ) 
February 14, 1884. \ 

Jacob Hoke, Esq., Chambersburg, Peima., 
Dear Nir : Complying with your request con- 
tained in your letter of the 4th inst., I contrib- 
ute for your use in preparing the "Reminiscen- 
ces of tlie War," designed to preserve in a 
])ermanent form many of the incidents of the 
war in and about Ciiambersburg, the following 
narrative of events in which I was a partici- 
pant. 

Though I liave no memorandum or document 
at hand which will in any way aid me, as a 
reference, these events were too full of import- 
ance to me personally, and had too much to do 
in directing tlie course of my life, to be faded 
in my memory, but are as fresh now as if they 
had hapiiened only a year ago. 

To the many readers of your Keminisceiices, 
to whom 1 am unknown, it may be necessary, 
by way of introtluction, to say that during the 
war I was a resident of Hagerstown, Mary- 
laud, and as one of tlie firm of D. Zeller & Co., 
was engaged in the business of Forwarding 
and Commission Merchants, and that being 
one of tlie organizers of a secret political socie- 
ty at that place, calleil the "Union League," 
designed for self-protection and aiding the Gov- 
ernment in its terrific struggle for preservation 
of the Union, and very early incurred the ani- 
mosity of many of the people of that place 
who synqiathized with the Southern secession- 
ists and rebels. 

I was also the representative at that place of 
the Cumberland Valley Railroad Company, act- 
ing in the capacity, but without the designation, 
of Assistant to the Superintendent, charged 
with the transportation of ti'oops and sup- 
plies — at that terminal point of the road. 
It was customary for me, as often as the rebel 
forces appeared and occupied the town, to 
leave Hagerstown in company with the Milita- 
ry telegraph operator, and to retreat up the 
valley by rail on a hand car. Frequently we 
were enabled by cutting the wires and estab- 
lishing offices secretely in the woods and 
bushes, to receive and communicate to the 
military authorities important intelligence 
concerning the movements of the rebel forces. 
We were of the opinion that our capture by the 
rebels would be of importance to them, and 
rarely allowed ourselves to remain within their 
lines. 

Therefore the rebel forces having entered 
Hagerstown in the afternoon of July 29, 1864, I 
left that place on a hand car about 3 o'clock, 
and arrived at Greencastle late in the after- 
noon of that day. I learned there that another 
rebel force, said to consist of 3,000 cavalry with 
some artillery, under command of Generals 
Bradley Johnson and McCausland, had crossed 
the Potomac river at McCoy's Ferry, and were 
marching in the direction of Mercersburg. 

This intelligence, to the best of my recollec- 
tion, was brought by one of the scouts under 
Lieut. McLane, of the regular army, who was 
in command of a squad of cavalry, mounted 
on the training horses of Carlisle Barracks, 
and operating in that country as independent 
scouts. 
This intelligence, I was informed at the time 



134 



Reminiscences of the Wai^ 



by the telegraph opeiiitor.s, D. C. Aughiubangh 
and Dr. Fetterhott', was also (ioiuiiniiiicatetl 
later iu the evening to (ituieral Averill, who 
arrived at Greenc^astle abont .S o'clock I'. M., 
from Hagerstown, with a force of about 'J,5(I0 
cavalry under his command. 

General Averill left three "t)rderlics" at the 
telegraph othce to convey to him all messages 
that might be received for him, and encamped 
his trooi>s in a grove distant about \y. miles 
north-east from Greencasfle, and only Ksy, 
miles from ('hambersbnrg. Late in tin; evcMi- 
ing General Couch, Commanding the Depart- 
ment of the Susquehanna, with headquarters 
at Chambersburg, sent a message to General 
Averill, which was promptly handed to one of 
the orderlies, who quickly mounted his horse 
and rode off in the direction of General Averill's 
camp. 

Blair Gilmore, the telegraph operator at 
Chambersburg, kept us informed constantly of 
all that was transpiring at that place, and of 
the movements of the rebel force. It is quite 
probable that I was informed by one of the 
operators as to the contents of the message 
from General Couch. At any rate, at the time I 
understood that General Couch informed Gen- 
eral Averill that the rebel forces were at or had 
passed Mercersburg, and were moving towards 
Chambersburg, and that being without ade- 
quate forces to check the movement, he inquir- 
ed whether AA'erill could be depended on for 
assistance. 

Later in the night two other messages were 
received from Gen. Couch for Gen. Averill and 
were promptly delivered to the orderlies. The 
last of these messages was received probably 
about 3 o'clock on the morning of July 30. 
These messages reported the rapid ajjproach of 
the rebels and expressed great anxiety to learn 
if General Averill intended to render assist- 
ance to Couch for the defense of Chambers- 
burg. 

There had been no reply from General Aver- 
ill, and learning that General Couch had made 
preparation for leaving Chambersbui'g, and 
that in all probability thecommunications with 
that place would be soon interrupted, I mount- 
ed a horse and hurriedly rode out to find Gen- 
eral Averill. On the road, about half way to 
the camp, I met the oi'derlies riding leisurely 
towards Greencastle. In reply to my inquiry 
if they had delivered their messages, they said 
that General Averill could not be found, and 
that they did not know what to do with the 
messages. Hastily informing them of the im- 
poriance of the dispatches, I took them in my 
own hands and telling them to follow me, 1 
spurred my horse and was soon at the grove. 

There Avas not a sentry or guard to halt me. 
All was quiet. There was not a .sound save the 
champing of the feeding horses ; there were no 
lights or fires except the embers where the men 
had prepared their evening meal. I dashed 
into the middle of the encampnjent and there 
found a solitary man to answer my inquiry : 
"Where is General Averill?" He could not 
tell me. An officer of a West Virginia regi- 
ment then appeared and said it would be diffi- 
cult to find General Averill, but ottered to aid 
me in the search. While he jirepared to mount 
his horse, the booming of a cannon was heard 
in the direction of Chambersburg. The officer 



expressed surprise and asked "what can that 
be?" r told him it supplemented the messa- 
ges which I brought., and indicated that Mc- 
Causland had arrived sit Chambersburg. 

We rode hastily through the grove and .soon 
found General Averill asleep by the side of a 
fence. On being awakened, he raised upon his 
elbow and heard the information 1 ha<l brought. 
1 had liaiidcd him the; telegrams, but as then- 
was no light I tolil him what they contained, 
and infornu'd him that they had been deliver- 
ed to his ordm'lies hours before. He made no 
reply and, as 1 tiiouglit, was about to turnover 
aiul go asle(^p. IMinutes seemed hours to nu', 
and growing impatient I said to him : "Gener- 
al Averill if you wish me to convey any an- 
swer to General Couch, I beg you to hit me 
have it quickly, for it is barely possible I can 
get back before telegraphic communications 
will be cut oti"." Without rising to put his 
troops in motion, or without the slightest man- 
ifestation of interest in the condition of (iener- 
al Couch, or in the peril to which the loyal peo- 
ple of Chambersburg were exposed, he merely 
said : "Tell Couch I will be there in the morn- 
ing." It was then, I think, about four o'clock, 
a. ni. 

lieturning to Greencastle, I found that al- 
ready the Chambersburg office was closed, hav- 
ing first reported that General Couch had all 
his military forces and suinilies on cars, and 
that the rebel advance was about to enter the 
town. 

I then joined Lieut. Jones and a squad of 
McLane's scouts, leaving Greencastle before 
dawn, aiul accompanied them as far as Green 
wood on the Gettysburg turnpike. On the Avay, 
the road being on the foot of the mountain and 
commanding a view of the valley, after pass- 
ing some ore iiits, I stopped in front of a house 
and rode up to the fence. Almost within my 
reach, l)ut insider the fence, there was a well, 
and two or three men and some women stood 
near by it. I asked them for a drink, of water 
but they made no otter to hand it to me and 
sullenly told me to help myself. 

After drinking, and having noticed that they 
were greatly excited and seemed to be looking 
intently at the little military force which had 
passed by, I renuirked : "I guess you are not 
very loyal ITnion people here?" One of the 
men answered : "You bet we ain't, and that is 
what the Chamber.sburg jieople are getting for 
being IJlack llepublicans," and pointed in the 
direction of Chambersburg, where I saw, for 
the first time, the den,se column of black smoke 
whirling on its axis, erect and reaching up to 
the sky — it told me that I was homeless, and 
perliaps all that I loved and cherished had per- 
ished under its awful shadow. 

It is not the province of the Annalist to re- 
cord his opinions or reflections concerning the 
events which he is narrating. But may this 
nai-rative come to the notice of the Historian, 
who in attemi^ting to illustrate the patriotism 
of the citizens of the Eepublic during the war, 
and their fortitude and loyalty under the sever- 
est trials, cannot overlook the burning of Cham- 
bersburg and the sacrifices of her people. Let him 
not omit to trace out the causes which led to 
the destruction of their homes, but let him be 
assured that posterity will expect him to as- 
sign so?iie reason explaining why there was 



Reminiscences of the Wm" 



135 



then withheld from that I0y.1l people the pro- 
tection which the Government is always bound 
to aftVird, and which at that disastrous time, as 
this narrative shows, could so easily have been 
provided. 

Very truly yours, &c., 

Thomas R. Baud. 

The reason why General Averill did not 
respond to the urgent appeals of General 
Couch, while not plainly stated by Mr. 
Bard in the foregoing paper, is yet inferra- 
ble, and the reader is left to his own con- 
clusions. Several corroborative statements 
as to General Averill 's condition have 
been given me by reliable persons, but as 
they are not direct and the result of per- 
sonal knowledge, as is Mr. Bard's, but 
secondary and containing information 
given by some of Averill 's officers,! do 
not give them here. The facts they relate 
were freely spoken of immediately after 
the fire, and were the common talk of the 
people. 

I subjoin aletter from Rev. J. Milton Sny- 
der, a resident of Somerset county, Penn- 
sylvania, but at the time of the war re- 
siding with his father, Jacob C. Snyder, 
Esq., of the vicinity of New Franklin, 
some four miles south-east of this place. 
Mr. Snyder's statement is as follows : 

Mr. J. Hoke : — (Sir ; — When Chambersbnrg 
was burned, that same morning at about 9 or 
9.30 o'clock (may be 10) Gen. Averill's cavalry 
came from the direction of Greencastle by New 
Franklin. They camped south-east of New 
Franklin in the woods on the farm now owned 
by Mr. Christian Lehman, to the right of the 
Walnut Bottom road. Some few camped in 
my father's field adjoining the grove. Gen. 
Averill got the most of the oats and hay used 
on that occasion to feed his horses from father's 
barn. After resting awhile Averill left, pass- 
ing through New Guilford, and struck the pike 
at Greenwood. When he passed liy N(nv Frank- 
lin the rebels were in Chanibersburg, and I 
distinctly remember that many of the soldiers 
were eager to march directly to that plac(\ and 
many were angry with their commander. The 
smoke and flames w(!re leajiing and rolling 
high in the heavens, shutting out the sun ; and 
had Averill marched to Chambersbnrg at once 
instea<l of eastwardly as he did, your beauti- 
ful town would have been saved. 1 believe he 
is to bhune for the destruction of your town, 
but then a civilian does not knowall the cir- 
enm.stances ; but yet he has eyes to s(!e the con- 
duct of pnl)lic men." 

Thus it will be seen that owing to the 
danger which threatened the National 
Capital, and the conse«iiient withdrawal 
of the troops raised in this valley for its de- 
fense, as well as the failure for a cause 
which he has never yet explained of one 
who could and should have saved us to 
come on to our rescue, our town was laid 
in ruins, our people made homeless and 
many so impoverished that their lives 



since have been a continual struggle for 
existence. 

But what has the government, for whose 
protection we were made to suffer, done 
in the way of compensating us for our 
losses ? A short time after the fire a pub- 
lic meeting of our citizens was held, at 
which a committee of five persons, who 
had not suffered by the destruction of the 
town, was appointed to make a careful es- 
timate of the value of each property de- 
stroyed. That committee was composed 
of the following persons viz : Wm. Mc- 
Lellan, Esq., C. M. Burnett, Rev. Joseph 
Clark, D. K. Wunderlich and John Arm- 
strong, and the aggregate value as ascer- 
tained by them was $783,950. This was 
for the real estate only ; the value of the 
personal property was not estimated by 
them. Inresponse to acall issued by Gover- 
nor Curtin the Legislature of the State was 
convened in special session, and came in 
a body to our town to see for itself the ex- 
tent of the destruction, after which the 
sum of one hundred thousand dollars was 
appropriated for our immediate relief. 
This money was placed at the disposal of 
the aforenamed committee, and was dis- 
tributed to the people, not pro rata accord- 
ing to the amount of their losses, but ac- 
cording to their necessities. The action 
afterwards taken by the authorities 
of the State in relation to the losses, 
the appropriations made, and the pres- 
ent shape of our claims, is set forth 
in the following concise manner by John 
M. McDowell, Esq., an attorney of law of 
this place : 

Chambersburg, Pa., July 19, 1884. 

Mr. Jacob Hoke, Dear Sir : — In compliance 
with your request I give you a statement of the 
losses to property, real and personal, in Frank- 
lin county, resulting from the several I'aids 
and invasions by the rebels during the late war, 
and the adjudications thereof by the several 
commissions appointed for that purpose. Our 
citiz<^ns suffered in loss of property bj^ the 
Stuart raid in the fall of 18(i2, the Jenkins' 
raids, and Lee's invasion of 1863, and the Mc- 
Cansland raid and bui'ning of Chambersburg 
in .Inly, lH(i4. The lirst a(^tion taken by our 
State towards .adjudicating and ]iaying our 
losses, was the passing of th(! Act of Assembly 
of February 15, IXfiG. This Act a]>propriated 
the sum of iriOO,000 to the sufferers by the burn- 
ing of C'hambersburg by Mc(!ansland on July 
.'to, l.S()4 — the most dastardly and cowai'dly act 
of the war — to be i)aid pro rata on the losses to 
b(i ascertained and adjudicated by three com- 
missioners to be ajyjiointed by the Governor. 
The Governor ai)pointed as said <-ominissi<)ners 
H. A. McAiister, E.sq., of liellefonte, Pa., Geli. 
Thomas .I.Jordan antl .lohn Hriggs, Esq., ot „ 
Harri.sburg, Pa. These three gentJeuien enter- "^ 
ed at once \\\Mm the discharge of their duties, 
selecting as their clerk Va\\. .lohn M. Gilmore, 
of C'hambersburg. 

The claims adjudicated by this commission 



136 



Reminiscences of the War. 



were for losses occasioned wholly by the great 
fire of 1864. They examined each claim separ- 
ately, requiring evidence to prove tlie loss, 
other th.an tliat of the claimant himself. The 
total claims awarded by this commission vven^ 
as follows: 

Real Estate. Personal Property. Total. 

$713,294.34 $915,137.24 $1,628,431.58 

The next step taken by our State was the 
Act of 9th April, 1868. Ifnder this Act the 
Governor was to ai)point "three disinterested 
persons" who.se duty it was "to fully investi- 
gate and adjudicate the claims of tlie citizens of 
the several counties or Franklin, Fulton, Bed- 
ford, York, Perry, Adams and Cumberland, 
for the amount of their los.ses in the late war, 
and to make report of same, under oath, to the 
Auditor General of this commonwealth." The 
Governor apj>ointed D. W. Woods, of Mifflin 
county, Anthony T. Eby, of Lebanon county 
and M. T. Woods, on said commission. After 
a careful examination of the claims presented 
before them, these gentlemen repoi-ted, under 
oath, the total lo.sses to citizens of Franklin 
county as $2,417,165.57. 

Besides tliis they found that the citizens of 
the other six border counties had sustained 
losses to the amount of $904,617.53. The next 
step taken by our State was by the Act of 22d 
May, 1871. This Act provided that "the claims 
of the citizens of the seven (above mentioned) 
counties, as adjiidicated under the two aforesaid 
Acts, "be subjected to a careful revision by two 
commissioners in each county to be appointed 
by the Judge of the Courts of Common Pleas of 
of .said sev^eral counties, " and that the Gover- 
nor should appoint competent counsel to rep- 
resent the government in the revision of said 
claims before the several commissions," and 
"that .said commissions should re-examiue and 
re-adjudicate o?Z of said claims." These com- 
• missioners were also to revise the claims for 
horses taken by our Government in the organ- 
ization of the Anderson Cavalry, as adjudicated 
by Col. D. O. Gehr and Samuel Rei.sherand for 
losses sustained at the hands of our own sold- 
iers during the war as adjudicated by W. H. Mc- 
Dowell and C. M. Burnett. 

Under this Act our Court appointed as the 
commissioners of Franklin county, Samuel 
Garver and ,1. W. Douglas, E.sqrs. The Gov- 
ernor ap]iointed as counsel for the Government 
Thomas C. McDowell, Esq., of Harrisburg. 

This commission gave every claim a thor- 
ough revi.sion and overbaiding, reducing them 
wlien found to be too high, and casting out all 
items of a doubtful or suspicious character. 
To the tlioroughness of this revision the writer 
can testify, as he acted as clerk to this commi.s- 
sion and knows how carefully and conscien- 



tiously these gentlemen did the work a.ssigned 
them. During a short sickness of Mr. Garver, 
Mr. Jacob Pensinger acted, under ajiiiointmont 
of the Court, in his stcatl. This ('(iimiiission 
reduced the total claims for losses to $2,471,- 
488.85, making an actual reduction in rebel 
losses of about $100,000. 

By the Act of 27th May, 1871, section 67— 
$300,000 was paid the citizens of Chambersbnrg 
upon their claims for losses by the great tire — 
thus making in all $800,000 to said sufferers — 
about fifty per cent of their claims — leaving yet 
unpaid $825,435.55. 

Thus you will see that the claims for losses 
by the Burning of Chambersburg have been a«l- 
jiulicated, re-adjudicatedand re- re-adjudicated 
by commissioners appointed by the State, and all 
other claims for losses at the hands of the re- 
bels have been adjudicated and re-adjudicated, 
by said commission. 

Our claims have certainly been well exam- 
ined, thoroughly sifted and adjudicated. It now 
remains for the State to i>ay them all in full. 
It has partly paid the losses of the burning of 
Chambersburg. The losses outside the burn- 
ing are equally as fair, just and e([uital>le as 
those occasioned by the great fire of 1864, and 
sliould be fully paid and provided for by our 
great and rich State. A trifle from each in- 
habitant ofthis great commouwealth would 
pay all the claims in all the border counties iu 
full and yet this great State refuses to be just 
to its suffering citizens. It is the duty of the 
State to protect her citizens, and if she fail in 
that she should pay and make good any losses 
occasioned liy her failure to protect them, and 
her citizens have a goo<l claim for damages 
against her. She could have protected us and 
did not. Hence we think slie is in duty bound 
now to remunerate those who lost by her neg- 
lect and failure even to try to protect them. 

Under the Act of 22 May 1871, the State is- 
sued to each claimant a certificate for the 
amount allowed in each claim in the following 
form : 

"This is to certify that has on file in 

tluM)ftice of the Auditor (ienei-al, a duly ai>prov- 
ed and registereil claim for the sum of ... . dol- 
lars, as adjudicated uiid<u' the Act entitle<l 'An 
Act to authorize the liquidation of damages 
sustained by citizens of Pennsylvania during 
the late llebellion, and jiayableonly when said 
claims shall be paid by the Unite<l States Gov- 
ernment. In testimony whereof we have here- 
unto set our hands and the stval of the State this 
.... day of .... A. D. 1871." 

Signed by tlie Governor and State Treasurer 
and countersigned by the Auditor General. 

Hoping that you can obtain from the foregoing 
the intbrmatiou desired, I am 

Yours, Truly, 

J. M. McDOWRLL. 



Reminiscences of the War. 



137 



CHAPTER XV, 



List of Buildings Dkstuoyed. 



The foUowJjig is a list of tlie buildings 
burned in Cihambersburg on July .!0, l.S(>4, 
and the amount of the loss sustained by 
each owner, as ascertained by the commit- 
tee — Messrs. Mcljellan, Burnet, Clark, 
Wunderlich and Armstrong— appointed 
for that purpose : 

S( )UTH SIDE OK MARKET. 

Jabot) Woll'k ill— Two story frame IVonl. and 
out' stniy brick back building S~O0 

I'ati'icic ( 'iiniiibeU's heir— Two siory brick 
Iront and one story Iranie back bnildins 700 

Peter M'Gafflgan— Two story log front and 
one stoi'y brick back building (iOO 

James C. Austin— Two story brick front 
and back building, new 5,000 

R. Austin — Two story brick front and back 
building and wash house S.COO 

Wm. H. M'Dowell— Two slory stone front 
and brick back building, wash house 
and brick stable ;',00) 

James M. Rrown— Two story stone front 
and brick back building, wash house 
and frame stable ;{,:;(X) 

Jacob Kellers— Two story brick front and 
frame back building, brick and frame 
stable and ice house -1,000 

J. \V. Douglas— One story frame front and 
back building COO 

Martin Hrown— One and a-half story frame 
front and one story log back building 1,000 

J. Allison & Jas. C. F.yster— Two story log 
front (cased with lirick) and one and 
a-half story log back building 1,000 

Mrs. Jordan— Two story brick front and 
back building o,000 

\i. S. Clark— Two story frame front, two 
story back building and frame stable 1,200 

CM. Duncan— Two story brick front and 
back building, fraine law office and frame 
stable 2,000 

Edmund Culbertson— Twostory brick front 
and back building, brick law otHce, and 
two story stone barn ((,000 

Mrs. Bard- Two story brick front and back 
building, two story bride law office, and 
row frame law offices OjSOO 

Gehr & Denny— Three story brick front 
•and two story back building, one three 
story brick front and one two story front 
building.. ...■» 5,500 

O. M. Duncan— Three story brick frontand 
back building, three story bricic arcade 
two two st(jry brick stables, and one tM'o 
story frame stable 15,000 

Aug. Duncan— Three story brick front 
building 1,500 

Henry Monks— Three story brick front 
building 1,.500 

Edward Aughinbaugli— Three story brick 
front building 1,500 

Dr, Wm. H. IJoyle— Three story brick front 
building 2,000 

Mary (iillan— Three story brick front 
building 1,.500 

T.J. Wright— Three story brick front and 
one story back building -. 1,800 

Samuel E. Greenawalt— Two story brick 
front and back building, frame wash 
house, brick smoke house and frame 
stable 3,000 



A. H. McCulloh— Twostory brick frontand 

back building, stone stable 2,00(1 

Rev. Mr. Nelson -Two story brick front 

nnd \vM-\i building, frame building and 

stone stable 2,000 

.lolin P. Culbertson— Three two stoi-y brick 

front and one back building and wash 

house 5,0C0 

Mrs. Riddle— Two story brick front and 

back building, wash house and frame 

stable :5,50O 

E. Finefrock— Two story front and back 

building, brick wash house, frame wash 

house and frame stable 2,000 

W. E. Eyster & Bro— Foundry— Two two 

story brick frontand back buildings and 

stable 4,000 

Robert E. T(»lbert— Two story brick front 

and back building and brick stable 2,000 

Matthew (Jillan's heirs— Two three story 

bricli fronts and two two story back 

buildings, log house, wash house and 

brick stable 0,000 

Alex. Frit/— Two story brick frontand one 

story frame and log back building 1,000 

Mrs. Frederick Smith— Two story brick 

front and back building 1,200 

John Bnrkholder's heirs— Two story brick 

front and back building and log barn 2,000 

Hunter Robison— Two story brick front 

and log back building and log stable 1,200 

Jacob B. Miller— Two story brick building KW 
John Bigley — One and a-h.-ilf story frame 

and two one story log buildings 50(» 

Thomas Cook— Two stoi-ylog frontand two 

one story frame back buildings C(X) 

Nathan I'ierce— Two story log front (rough 

cased) and two story brick back building 

and wasli liouse 1,000 

Barnet Wolft— Two story frame building... tiOO 
.1. M. Wolfklll— Two story brick front and 

two two story I jack buildings 2,5(K) 

J.icob Shafer— Two story brick front and 

one story brick back building and frame 

shop 1,000 

Richard Woods — Two story brick front and 

one and a-half stoiT log back building 

and brick wash house 800 

John King— Two story log and one story 

brick building 400 

Christ. I'isle— Two story brick building 500 

Mrs. l-;ii/,abeth StouHer— Two story brick 

front and one story brick back building.. 1,800 
Andrew Banker— One story brick shop, 

two story brick house and frame barn.... 2,000 
Mrs. Butler— Two story log building and 

frame stable 4(X) 

Mary Rapp— Two story log building 400 

James Nill's heirs— Twostory brick front 

and shed 500 

Josiali Allen— Two story brick and one 

story frame building 1,000 

NORTH SIDE MARKET STREET. 

C. Stout— Two two story log buildings and 
wood shed 000 

Samuel Brandt— Two story brick building 80O 

.lolin M. McDowell— Two story brick front 
and one story back building, two story 
brick front building, log and frame barn 
hog pen and wagon maker shop and 
blacksmitli shop and hay scales 3,.50O 

Daniel Ti-ostle-Two story brick front and 
Ijack building, and two story brick barn 1,-500 

Mrs, Radebaugh— Stone and frame barn... 800 



138 



Reminiscences of the War. 



Mrs. Jos. Chambers— Two story brick Iront 
and back building and iirlck stable 5,500 

Geo. W. Brewer— Two story brick front and 
liaclv building, two story brick office, 
spring and smoke bouse, brick and stone 
barn 5,5<X) 

Mrs. Jacob Smitli— Log stable UK) 

John Miller, (Inn-keeper)— Two story brick 
front and back building, two story brick 
hotel, wash bouse, 1 brick and two frame 
stables, brick wagon maker and black- 
smith shops 8,000 

John B. Cook— Two story stone (rough 
cased) and two story frame buildings, 
bark house and grinding mill, bark shed 
and brick stable 5,000 

C. W. Eyster— Two three story brick mills 
.and two story brick building 15,000 

Lambert &. Huber— Four story stone and 
frame paper mill and steam house 15,000 

C. W. Eyster— Two story brick front and 
back building and brick stable 3,000 

S. M. ShiUito— Two story brick building... ],.500 
James King— Two story brick building, 

frame shop and shed 1,200 

IVter Brough— Three story brick front and 

one story back building, (unfinished) 3,000 

Jolin Noel— Three story stone front and 

back building and stone stable 8,' 00 

Court House— Three story l)rick 45,000 

Engine House— Two story brick 1,000 

D. O. Gehr— Two story brick front and 
back building, smolie house, brick stable 
frame wagon shed 5,500 

B. F. Nead— Two story brick front and 
back building, spring and smoke house, 
brick stable 5,000 

A. I). KaufTman — Tliree story brick front 
and l)a<-k liuilrting, and log stable 4,000 

Mrs. tiocttmaii- Two story brick front and 
back building, two story log front(rougb 
cased) and brick back building, bake 
house, brick wash house, brick stable 5,500 

Peiffer's heirs— Two story stone house, 
frame smith shop, two story frame shop, 
one and a-half story frame front and one 
story brick back building, frame stal)le 2,600 

T. B. Kennedy— Two story ))rick front and 
back building, smoke and wash house... 8,0(X) 

Rev. B. S. Scbneck— Two story stone front 
and brick back building and wasli house 3,000 

Levi Humelshlne— Two story logfiont and 
frame tiack building and frame slied 000 

Samuel lOtter— Two story brick front and 
back liuilding, and Iranie bakeliouse 3,0(J0 

Rev. N. Schlosser— Two story log front and 
frame back building and shed 1,000 

yebastian Eckert— Two story stone front 
and brick back building 1,000 

WEST SIDE MAIN TO SQUARE. 

Benj. Cham bera— Two story brick cottage 
and two story brick back building 5,0OJ 

William O. Reed— Two story brick front 
and back building, and frame and brick 
stable 5,000 

Mrs. C. Snyder- Two story brick front and 
back building 3,000 

Allen Smith— Two story brick front and 
baclv building, small frame stable 1,600 

Christian Flack— Two story logandweath- 
erlioardtd tVontand oiif story frame back 
building, small frame stable 1,000 

J no. Schoflcld— Two story log weather- 
boarded front and one story l)ack build- 
ing, brick shop and small frame stable... 1,(I(M) 

Matthew P. Welsh— Two story brick front 
and back building, brick wash house 2,500 

Christian StouHer (.Macliinist)- Two story 
brick front and back building, frame 
stable 3,000 

Geo. Chambers' residence — Two story 
brick front and back building, one story 
brick smokfliouse, two story stone stable 7,000 

George Clianibers (Seminary)— Three story 
stone iront and lliree story stone and . 
brick back building, smokehouse 5,000 

George Chambers (Millinery Shop)— Two 



story brick front and back building 2,00o 

A. J. Miller — Two story stone front and 

brick back building, one story brick back 

building, wash and smoke house 4,500 

James Watson— Two story brick front and 

back building 4,500 

R. Austin— Two story brick front and two 

story brick back building 2,500 

EAST SIDE MAIN FROM SQUARE TO KING. 

Franklin Hall— Three story brick building 20,0(K) 

Jacob Hoke.— Two story brick|front and 
two story brick back building and frame 
stable 5,500 

Dr. Ijangheim.— Two story brick front, two 
frame back building and frame stable.... 3,000 

Widow Alontgoniery (Hotel.)— Three story 
bricli: Iront and two story brick back 
building, two story stone front and two 
story brick back building and brick 
stable 9,(K)0 

Daniel Trostle. — Two story Brick and stone 
front and three two story stone back 
buildings, lot of sheds and stone stable... 7,000 

Susan Chambers.— One stoi-y brick shop, 
twostory brick mansion and stone stable 2,.5O0 

A. P. Frey.— Two stoiy IVame anil log front 
and one story liriek liacli l)uil(ling, two 
storv brick sliop, ( "oaclnnaker shed and 
blacksmith sliop and log stable 3,000 

A. S. Hull.— Two story ))rlck Iront and one 
story back building and frame wash 
hou.se 2,000 

Mrs. Geo. Goettman. — Twostory log(weath 
erboard) brick back building and frame 
shop 1,200 

WEST SIDE OF MAIN, FROM SQUARE TO 
WASHINGTON. 

Chambersburg Bank. — Two story brick 
front and back building, smoke and wash 
liou.se stable 8,000 

Mrs. Gilmore.— Two story brick front and 
back building and two frame shops 5,500 

Jacob B. Miller.— Two story frame front 
(brick cased) and story back, coal shed, 
stove shed and frame stable 3,000 

Dr. llieliards.— Two story brick front and 
back building, smoke house, stable 5,500 

Christian Burkhart.— Three story brick 
front and back building,frame ice house, 
stable 4,500 

John M. Cooper.— Three story brick front, 
three story brick back and two story 
brick back building, stone stable, &c 15,000 

James L. Black.— Two story brick front 
and back building, spring house, stable.. 5,000 

Dr. James. Hamilton.— Three story brick 
front and back building, and stables 7,000 

John A. Grove.— Frame shop 250 

Jacob Hutton.— Three story brick front 
and two two-story brick buildings, wash 
and smoke bouses 4,500 

io\\\\ McClintock.— Two story brick front 
and back building, hatter shop and 
smoke house 3,500 

Lewis Shoemaker.— Two story bricrtc front 
and back building, store room, bake 
house and ice house 4,200 

Samuel Greenawalt.— Two story brick 
front and back buildings, and frame shed 5,500 

J. Allison Eyster- Two story brick front 
and one and a half story back building... 5,030 

J. Allison Eyster— Two story brick front 
and one story brick back building 1,500 

J. Allison Ilyster- Three story brick front 
and two two-.story back buildings, and 
brick stiible 5,(XM) 

Wm. Heyser's heirs— Twostory brick front 
and back buildings, brick bake and 
smoke house, and brick stable 5,500 

Rev. S. R. Fisher— Brick stable .500 

Geo. Lehner— Log stable 400 

George Ludwig— Two story brick front and 
four two-story and one one and a half 
story brick back buildings, frame shed, 
and one story brick bake house 7,000 



Reminiscences of the War. 



Charles F. Miller— Two story brick front 
and back buildins, brick wash house l.^jtM) 

Adam Wolfl— Two story frame and brick 
front and frame shed 1,-'(KI 

John Forbes— Two story log front and one 
story brick back building, frame wash 
and smoke house 2,000 

John Dittman— Two story brick front and 
back building 2,0(K) 

Joseph Declvclmayer— Two story brick 
front and back building, one story 
bakery ;i,00() 

Samuel Ott— Two two-story brick front 
and one two-story brick back building... 4,(X)0 

R. Radenbaugh— One story frame shop loO 

Sanuuloil -One story frame shop 2U0 

H. Kadenliaugh— Two story brick front 
building (KH) 

FART 8IDF OF MAIN, FROM WASHINGTON 
TOSQUARK. 

F. Spahr— Two story brick front and back 
building 2,.'j00 

Miss Hetrick— Two story brick ft-ont and 
one story ))rick back buirding 1,.'J00 

John A. helimaster— Two story brick front 
and back building and frame shed 1,500 

Aug. Reineman— Two story brick front 
and buildings 2,500 

Samuel M. Perry— Two story brick front 
and back building 2,000 

Daniel li. Taylor— Two story log (weather 
boarded) front and frame hack liuilding.. 1,500 

John W. Taylor— Two story brick front 
and back building, wasli and .smoke 
house, stable, shed and liay scales 7,i>00 

George Ludwig— Two story ))rick front and 
back building, tin shop, frame sheds, 
brick .stable J,0()0 

H. H. Hutz— Two story bri(;k front and 
back l)uilding, wash and smoke house, 
and brick stable (I,.")00 

Daniel Reisher— Two and a half story brick 
front and two story back building, frame 
kitchen, wash smoke and bake house 
and stable 1,500 

Michael Kuss— Two story brick front and 
back building, wash house and stone 
stable 2,500 

Isaac Hutton— Two story brick front and 
two story brick back building, Avoodand 
Wash house, back shop and stone stable J.OOO 

John P. Culbertson— One story frame front 
and two frame liack shops 800 

Dr. John Lambert— Two story brick front 
and two story back building, brick sta- 
ble and carriage house 5,590 

Mrs. R. Fisher— Two story brick front 
building 5,0tKt 

William Wallace (Hotel)— Three story 
brick front and three story back building 
and wasli liouse 0,000 

Daniel Heisher— Two story brick frontand 
two two story back buildings and brick 
stable 6,0(H) 

J. Allison Ej'ster (Nixon's)— Two stor.y 
brick front and two two story back build- 
ings, brick shed and two story brick 
shop 4,500 

James Eyster— Two story lirick front and 
two story back building and brick stable 4,500 

Eyster & Bro— Two story stone front, brick 
back building and kitchen 5,500 

Eyster & Bro -Three story brick front, 
warehouse, brick stable 10,000 

Brand & Flack— Tw(j story stone frontand 
brick liack building, brick warehouse 6,-5(Mi 

A. J. White— Two story stone front and 
brick back building and kitchen 4,500 

Hiram White— Three story brick frontand 
back building and kitclicn 7,500 

John Jeffries— Two story stone front and 
brick back building, brick wash house 
and frame stables 3,000 

A. B. Hamilton— Two story stone frontand 
frame and brick back buildings, frame 
wash house, brick stable 6,000 



Mansion House— Three story brick front 
and two story brick back Iniildlngs and 
stone stable 10,000 

Academy— Two story brick 4,010 

QITEBN SOUTH SIDE. 

Jolm W. Re?es— Two story brick frontand 
back l)uilding and wasli house I,(H)0 

Wm. Cunningham— Two story brick front 
and back building, wash house and gran- 
ary :i,iMH) 

John Mull— Two story brick front and 
back building 2,0(0 

J. T. Hoskinson— Two story brick front 
and back building 2,200 

Jacob Flinder— Two story frame frontand 
one story back building » SOO 

Jacob Flinder— Two story frame front and 
one story back building and stable 700 

Wm. Wallace— Two story brick front and 
bac^k ))uilding, wash hou.se and wood 
work of spring house 4,000 

Mrs. John Lindsey— Two story brick front 
and back building 2,r)00 

Banard Wolft— Two two story brick front 
and back buildings, one story frame 
kitchen, wash house, warehouse, frame 
butcher shop, frame carriage house, one 
story brick stable 7,500 

J. Allison Eyster— Two story brick iront 
and back building 2,200 

Mrs. Blood— Two story brick front and two 
two story brick back buildings 1,800 

Mrs. Clark— Two story brick front and 
back building 1,800 

Mrs. R. Fisher— Two story brick front and 
back building 2,000 

Mrs. Sarah Stevenson— Two story brick 
frontand one back building, wash and 
smoke house 2,000 

Jno. D. Grier— Two story brick front and 
back building 4,500 

Mrs. Susan Nixon— Two story brick iront 
and one story liack building 1,800 

Robert Davis— Two story brick building... 2,010 

John Cree— Two story brick front and 
back building, wash and smoke house... 2,500 

Samuel Myers— Two storv brick front, one 
two and a-half and one two story back 
building 3,2C0 

Mrs. Thompson— Two story log building... 601' 

Mrs. Geo. S. Eyster— Two story brick front 
and back building 2,t00 

Andrew Banker—Two story log front and 
back building (rough cased) and smoke 
house 1,500 

QUEEN— NORTH SIDE. 

Huber & Co— Edge tool factory— Fine one 

story brick and one frame building 3,500 

Brick blacksmitli shop 600 

Baptist Church— Brick three story 3,(^0 

Geo Ludwig (Brewery)— Two story stone 
front and back building, two story brick 
back building one story ottice and en- 
gine house frame stable, two story shod.. S.OOo 

Widow Grove of Wm— Two story frame 
front and back building, brick smoke 
house 1,500 

Thomas Carlisle— Two story brick front 
building and twostory frame front build- 
ing 3,0C0 

Kindline's Heirs— Two stor.v brick front 
and two story frame back building, two 
stor.v log and brick Iront and two story 
brick back building 4,000 

Widow Grove of Alex— Two story frame 
front and one story back builaiiig,snioke 
house, frame stable 1,200 

Jno Huber— Two stoi'y brick front building 
and lirick kitchen frame stable 2,000 

H. Sierer— Two story frame fnjntand back 
building, two story frame wareroom, 
stone stable, shed, one story kitchen ad- 
.joining Stevenson's 3,IH>0 

Thomas Carlisle— Two story brick front 
and two story back buildings 2,500 



I40 



Reminiscences of the War. 



Will. Wallace— Three three story Tirick 
trout buildings and ^lirec two story briclv 
hael? liuildins,', two one story frame sliops 
and two and a liall story bi'iek stal)le 8,0CU 

Nieliolas Snyder— Two story brick front 
and baelv l)uildinfrs, two frame Avash 
houses and frame stal)le 2,5(10 

Dr. S. D. Culbertsoii— Two anda half story 
l)rick front, and two story brick back 
building, brick spring house, and brick 
stable \,W) 

Mrs, Brand— Roof slightly damaged 

J. P" Culbertson— Two story brick front and 
back building, smoke and spring house, 

and stable J,5U0 

' SECOND STREET. 

P. Henry Peiper— New two story frame 
stable 1,000 

Associate Reformed Church — One story 
brick building, with end gallery 3,000 

Ren.i. Rhodes— Two story log front and 
one story brick back building 1,200 

J. Allison Eyster— One story log shop 100 

Charles Croft— One and a half storj- log 
building and frame kitchen 800 

John P. Keefer— Two story brick building 
and frame kitchen 1,500 

John Reasner— One story log bakery and 
frame corn crib 150 

Jacob S. Brown— Roof and upper floor of 
front and back building 500 

John Doebler — Two story brick front and 
two story back building 2,000 

Holmes Crawford — Two story lirick front 
and two story liack building 3,000 

Samuel Armstrong— Two story brick front 
and back building, kitchen, stable and 
frame shed J,000 



Aug. Reineman— Two one story frami; 
shops , 

FRANKLIN. 

Martin Cole— Two story brick front and 
back, and two story log buildings, and 
wash house 1,500 

Philip Evans— Two story brick front and 
one story frame liack building 1,200 

WOLFSTOWN. 
Dr. A. H. Senseny— Two story log build- 
ings 2(10 

N. Uglow— Three one story log buildings... 250 

WATER. 

Geo. Kindline — (tne and a half story brick 
wagonmakcr and blacksmith shop, one 
In-ick stable 800 

ALLEY. 

Widow Palmer— Frame stable 150 

Nicholas Garwick— Frame stable 100 

Henry Qreenawalt — Brick stable ."JOO 

KING. 

George Chambers— Three two-story brick 
front and one one-story brick back build- 
ing 2,500 

Upton Washabaugh— Two story frame front 
and l)rick back building, stone brewery, 
brick graiiar\' wagon shed, two brick 

stables and frame shed 8,000 

Conrad Ilaiiiiaii— Stone and frame butcher 

shop and dwelling, frame stable 810 

A. K. 1M'( 'lure -House and barn '.),5()() 

Jacob El)y— I'.arii 2,50(J 

Andrew M'Elwaine— House 100 



CHAPTER XVI. 



Caught Within the Confederate Line.s, and wh.\t Came of it. 



Ou Monday, July 6th, wheu the retreat 
of the Confederate army was certainly 
known in our town, a large number of our 
citizens started to Gettysburg, and others 
to Hagerstown. The persons going to the 
latter place expected to witness a battle at 
the crossing of the Potomac. After walk- 
ing from Chambersburg to Middletowu at 
the State Line, where they remained over 
night, the following persons resumed 
their journey to Hagerstowu along the 
Cumberland Valley Railroad, viz : — Dr. 
James Hamilton, his brother, h . B. Ham- 
ilton, John ?. Culbertson, Dr. George R. 
Kaufman, Jacob N. Snider, Allen C. Mc- 
Grath, Charles Kinsler, Thomas H. Mc- 
Dowell, George S. Heck, J. Winter Tri- 
tle, Levi D. C. Houser, J. I'orter Brown, 
D. M. Eiker, and Rev. Charles Steck. 
Wheu passing through the deep cut along 
the railroad, a short distance this side of 
Hagerstown, the party overtook two rebel 
soldiers who had been out in the country 
foraging. One of them carried in his hand 



a tin bucket in which he had sausage and 
butter. Mr. Tritle took the .musket from 
one of them and proposed to break it, but 
was prevented by his companions, who 
told him that they might get into trouble 
by doing so. At length the musket was 
returned to the soldier, and they were per- 
mitted to go on into Hagerstown. Arriv- 
ing at that point on the railroad where 
the Western Maryland railroad crosses the 
track of the Cumberland Valley, the par- 
ty stopped and held a consultation. They 
did not know whether Hagerstown was in 
possession of Federals or Confederates. At 
length Messrs. Steck, Tritle and A. B. 
Hamilton proposed to go on into the town 
and if all was right and it was safe to en- 
ter, they would come back and show them- 
selves upon a hill near the cemetery with- 
in sight. After waiting a while and the 
party not appearing upon the hill, Mr. 
Houser proposed that he would go forward 
and reconnoitre. When he entered with- 
in the limits of the town he found it in 



Reminiscences of the War. 



141 



l)ossessioii of the rebels. The streets were 
tilled with army wagons and the pave- 
ments crowded with soldiers. Things be- 
gan to assume an unhealthy appearance, 
and wiien he reached the llound House 
belonging to the railroad company he met 
a woman with wliom he liad some ac- 
quaintance, and while conversing witli 
her lie saw his companions comiugarouud 
tlie corner in the road escorted by a guard. 
They had waited but a short time after 
Houser started, and determined to proceed, 
but had not gone far before tliey ran 
against a lot of rebels, among whom were 
the two they liad stopped out on the road. 
When Houser saw that his comrades were 
prisoners, he gave a gum blanket sud hav- 
ersack, which he had brought witli him, 
to this woman to keep for liim and went 
back to bis party, supposing that tiie two 
they had stopped would not recognize him. 
In tliis he was mistaken, and lie was at 
once placed under arrest and compelled to 
fall in at the rear. He told the guard that 
they had mistaken their man, that he was 
a citizen of the place, and did not like to 
be marched through tlie street, and be rec- 
ognized and laughed at, but they would 
not let him go. They were first taken to 
the front of Doyle's hotel, and sat there 
for a while, when they were again put 
upon their feet and taken to tiie Washing- 
ton hotel, where the guard inquired for 
tlie I'rovost Marshal. The ollice of this 
person was (Hrectly opposite the hotel, and 
when they crossed the street and halted 
before tlie ollice, Houser left the rear and 
went to the front, and motioning to Sni- 
der, they walked away and were soon lost 
sight of in the crowd. After proceeding 
a short distance they crossed the street be- 
tween the wagons, and proceeded towards 
the residence of Mr. l^ewis Heist, a for- 
mer resident of this place, but before reach- 
ing the dwelling of Mr. Heist they met 
him in the street. Mr. Heist expressed 
his surprise at lindiug these men there, 
and they soon saw that he did not intend 
to do anything for tliem. They next con- 
cluded to proceed to the residence of ^Slr. 
Jolin Hutton, anotlier former resident of 
Chambersburg, but just before arriving at 
Mr. Huttou\s, they discovered their own 
party in the hands of their guard before 
his door. They at once left, and remem- 
bering that Mr. Jacob Keller, long a resi- 
dent of this place, and then and now in the 
employment of the Cumberlantl Valley 
Railroad, at that time occupied the buikl- 
ing at the depot which was then used as a 
ticket office, they determined to try and 
find their way there. Arriving at Mr. 
Keller's, they tapped at the back door, 
which was immediately opened by Mrs. 
Keller, who at once took in the situation, 
motioned them to be silent as rebels were 



in the front part of the house, and pointed 
to the stairway. They were not slow in 
taking the hint, and went softly up into 
the attic, wliere for several days the fami- 
ly of Mr. Keller — he being absent — showed 
them all possible kindness. That evening 
after it became dark Mr. Houser disguised 
liimself in Mr. Keller's clothes, putting 
on his head a fur cap, and went out to ob- 
tain information of his comrades. Pass- 
ing along the street he saw another party 
of five or six of our citizens in the hands 
of the rebels, among whom were Mr. 
Mong and Kitzmiller. When passing the 
party, who failed to recognize him in his 
disguise, he overheard one of the rebels 
declare that they were not satisfied for 
they had not yet caught that fellow with 
the toMte vest who wanted to break their 
gun. Finding it was not safe thus to ex- 
pose himself upon the street, Mr. Houser 
went back to their place of concealment. 
One day while in their hiding place, they 
heard the sound of sawing. Upon mak- 
ing investigation, they found that Mrs. 
Keller had taken it into her head to pro- 
vide a kind of underground railroad from 
the room tliey occupied to the cellar by 
sawing a hole in the floor into a closet. To 
their assurances that this would not likely 
be needed, their kind hostess desisted. 

On Friday morning Snider and Houser 
determined that they would endeavor to 
pass through the lines and make their 
way home. And as a ruse to deceive the 
rebels they borrowed a market basket and 
some napkins of Mrs. Keller, determining 
to pass themselves as persons in search of 
butter for sick soldiers. They accordingly 
went out Ijy what is called the Mud road, 
which leads from Hagerstown to Mercers- 
burg. They had not proceeded far from 
town until they came upon a rebel en- 
campment. The rebels stopped them and 
asked them who they were and where they 
were going. They told their story and 
were permitted to pass on. Seeing a farm 
house they went to it and found the wo- 
men engaged in churning. They inquired 
if thev could purchase butter. They were 
told that they could not as it was already 
engaged by the soldiers who were standing 
there and waiting for it. They said that 
they were eat out, and had some sick sol- 
diers who must have butter, and offered 
one dollar a pound in gold, but were still 
refused. Houser says he had not a cent of 
money in his pocket, but they determined 
to put on a bold front to deceive the reb- 
els. Their conduct entirely deceived the 
rebel guard, and they inquired where the 
main line was, which was told them and 
they were permitted to pass on. They had 
not proceeded far until they saw the glit- 
ter of bayonets over the brow of a hill, 
when they got over the fence and sat down 



142 



Reminiscences of the War. 



under u tree. There were live rebels in 
this i)arty, and wlien they came up to 
them they got over the fence, and when 
asked what they were after and wliere 
tliey were going, they told their butter 
story. "That's just what we are after," 
said one of the soldiers. They then pro- 
j)osed to the rebels that they would take a 
circuit among the farmers, and would 
meet them near the town, and whichever 
party succeeded in procuring butter should 
divide with the other. To this the rebels 
assented, and again they passed on. In a 
little while they were halted by five cav- 
alrymen, to whom they repeated their sto- 
ry. These soldiers did not seem to credit 
their story, but after a parley Hnider drew 
from his pocket a flask containing some 
whiskey. At the sight of this flask their 
eyes fairly danced, and one of the soldiers 
was about putting it to his mouth when 
he hesitated and said, "Perhapsit is drug- 
ged." Snider said, "Haud it back to me 
and I'll drink first." Seeing that Snider 
was willing to drink, and there was only 
enough for about four, the soldier said, 
"No, it's too precious," and took a drink 
and handed it to his comrades who drained 
it of its contents. After they had drank 
Snider said, "Well what are you going to 
do? Are you going to let us go on?" 
Ope of the soldiers replied, "Wait till we 
reach the top of that hill," pointing to a 
hill top near at hand, "and when we pass 
there you may go on." As soon as the 
hill was passed they passed on. lu a little 
while they heard firing across a wheat 
field, and by taking a circuitous route 
they escaped and soon struck the road 
leading from Williamsport to Green castle, 
which they followed and without further 
molestation reached the latter place. 
Lieaving their basket there witli a friend to 
send to IVIrs. Keller, they at once set out 
for Chambersburg. On their way they 
saw the broken down wagons and other 
debris of the wagon train of wounded 
which had passed that way from Gettys- 
burg a few days previously. When with- 
in about three miles of Chambersburg 
they met a number of men on liorseback 
who proved to be reporters for several of 
the New York papers. When these men 
found out that Snider and Houser were 
right from Hagerstown, they plied them 
with questions, and returning to town 
they forwarded their dispatches to New 
York. The next day, Mr. Snider says, 
the New York papers contained important 
news from Hagerstown from their own 
special correspondents. Arrivintr home 
in the evening, tired and weary, they re- 
tired to bed, but Gen. Couch having that 
day removed his headquarters to this place 
and hearing of their return from within 
the enemy's lines, sent and had Mr. Sni- 



der get up and go to his headijuarters and 
tell him all he knew. 

Such were the adventures of Snider and 
Houser as related by themselves, but what 
became of their companions who were left 
in the hands of the rebels ? The three 
men — Steck, Tritle and Hamilton, who 
had gone into Hagerstow-n — upon entering 
the town and finding it occupied by the 
rebels, secreted themselves and escaped 
capture. The other party consisting of 
Mong, Kitzmiller and three or four others 
were taken along by the rebels. When 
about crossing the Potomac, at Falling 
Waters, Kitzmiller made his escape by 
running away, but narrowly escaped a 
shower of balls which were sent after him. 
The others were released ai Bunker Hill, 
near Winciiester, and permitted to return 
home. The fate of the remaining nine, 
viz., Dr. James Hamilton, Dr. George R. 
Kaufman, John P. C!ulbertson, George S. 
Heck, Thomas H. McDowell, J. Porter 
Brown, Charles Kinsler, Allen C. Me- 
Grathand D. M. Eiker, was as follows, as 
related by Mr. Eiker : "After Snider and 
Houser left us, and not finding the Pro- 
vost Marshal in his office, we were taken 
to the porch in front of the house of Dr. 
Dorsey, on Washington street, and while 
sitting there the head of the column of 
Union soldiers captured at Gettysburg— 
about four thousand in number— came up, 
when we were ordered to fall in with them. 
In company with them we were marched 
towards Williamsport, and encamped 
that night in a wheat field. Throughout 
the night it rained heavily, and we got 
wet to the skin. The next day we were 
ferried across the river, and started on our 
long and wearisome journey to Richmond. 
Reaching Staunton by foot, some one hun- 
dred and twenty-five miles, about the 18th 
of July, we there embarked upon the cars 
and were taken to the Capital of the Con- 
federacy, accomplishing what many oth- 
ers had" for some time tried to do— take 
Richmond— or, rather I should say, Rich- 
mond had taken us, 

"We arrived in Richmond, July 21st, 
about 4 A. M. Our first halt in the city 
was in front *)f 'Castle Thunder,' former- 
ly a tobacco factory, but then used as a 
prison. We were then moved on down 
Carey street about two blocks, and halted 
in front of that noted place, 'Libby Pris- 
on.' Here we were taken to the office, 
where our name, age, and where we came 
from and what we had been doing to bring 
us there, were taken down, and after 
being searched, (juarters were assigned us. 
Our quarters were in a room that was on 
a level with Carey street, and in the rear 
was one story high— the building standing 
on a slope— running back to the canal, 
and overlooking James River. The base- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



H3 



ment room was used as a cook house, 
where our rations were prepared. Aud 
such rations! It almost makes my teeth 
water to think of them. As to the man- 
ner of their being served to us — in the 
morning any time from S to 11 o'clock, a 
sergeant with aguard would come into the 
room and call for six, eight or ten men (as 
the ease might require) and a blanket. 
When they returned, two to four men 
would have the blanket and in it our 
rations of bread for 24 hours, consisting of 
about 8 ounces for each man. The rest of 
the men would bring buckets containing 
meat— any kind from beef to mule. About 
2 to 3 ounces constituted a ration. After 
cleaning the bones of all the meat, some of 
us turned our attention to manufacturing 
ornaments of jewelry, which we had no 
difficulty in disposing of to the rebels. In 
the evening, generally about dusk, we 
were furnished about a pint of soup. This 
soup was made of cow peas, a prolific cro)) 
in the South and used as food for cattle; 
hence their name. As this savory dish 
was brought in after it was dark, we ate 
it mfailh^ not knowing exactly all it was 
composed of. But one evening it was 
issued before sundown, and upon examin- 
ing it I found that it contained bugs. I 
began to throw them out with my spoon 
— a wooden one I had whittled out of a 
piece of rail — but I soon discovered that if 
I took them all out I would have but little 
soup left. After that I took mine i^traig/d, 
bugs and all, concluding that as the bugs 
had come from the peas, they properly 
belonged there, and it was not right to 
separate tliem. 

"The room overhead contained Federal 
officers; and in the dusk of the evening 
we would build a platform with barrels, 
and climbing upon it, hold conversation 
with them. On one occasion Dr. Hamil- 
ton passed a note up to an officer. One of 
the rebel authorities happened to be in the 
room at the time and signed the note. 
He then came down to our room, and in 
an insolent manner inquired, 'Where is 
this man Hamilton ?' When he found 
him he was taken out anil placed in a 
dungeon for several days. On another 
evening when the scaffolding had been 
I)ut in i>lace, and several parties had been 
up talking, an officer inijuired for some 
one from Chambersburg, Pa. I happened 
near at the time, and was called and 
mounted the platform, when the follow- 
ing conversation took place: 'Are you 
from Chambersburg V' 'I am; my name 
is Eiker.' 'I am Captain Ed. Kchroeder, 
of York, Pa., and a relation of the Nitter- 
liouse family of Chambersburg. How are 
you off for grub "r" 'Not very well." 
'Wait and I will pass you something?' 
In a few minutes he came and passed me 



some bread and crackers. The officers 
were allowed to buy, which we were not. 
This conversation was carried on through 
a hole in the lloor that had beeu made for 
a large rope to pass through to hoist goods. 
After the war I met Capt. Schroeder and 
renewed the acquaintance and have visited 
him at his home in York, and have found 
him to be a genial, whole-souled gentle- 
man. He shall always have a place in 
my memory. 

"Frequently a squad of prisoners from 
Belle Isle, for transfer to another prison, 
would be brought in and turned into our 
room for the night. On such occasions 
we would be packed 'like herring in a 
box.' During the part of August that we 
were there, when the room would be 
crowded, we would be almost suffocated 
from heat. One day a citizen passing by 
stopped and looked up at the window. 
One of the prisoners looking out called to 
him, 'Come out from under that hat. I 
know you are in it. I see your feet stick- 
ing out.' The citizen reported this to the 
officers aud charged it to our room. The 
consequence was, we were put on bread 
and water until the offender could be 
found out. This punishment was kept up 
for several days when it was suggested by 
some one of the prisoners that if someone 
in the room would acknowledge himself 
the offender they would give him 
a certain number of rations of bread. 
Finally one of the men agreed. He was 
taken out and put in the dungeon. After 
that we received our usual rations. A 
guard was stationed at a stairway in our 
room, and one day a surly fellow was on 
this post. He took a bayonet and marked 
a line on the floor with the remark, 'Now, 

you, stay outside that.' Owing to 

the crowded condition of the room I, by 
some means, got on this line, when he 
gave me a bayonet thrust on my left 
cheek just below the eye. 

''Sometime in the latter part of August 
I was transferred to 'Castle Thunder,' an- 
other of the prisons of Richmond for 
Union prisoners. Castle Thunder — classic 
name I How or where it came by that 
name I never learned. It was a tobacco 
factory prior to tiie war. When it was 
made known to us that the 'Castle' was 
our destination we felt rather blue. Dur- 
ing our sojourn in Libby we heard all sorts 
of tales of the horrors and cruelties of that 
place, but we were agreeably disappointed. 
The discipline was notas rigid as in fjibby, 
and rations were better. In the morning 
we received good bread and beef in fair 
(piantities. In the afternoon good vegeta- 
ble soup. }iut as there is an end to all 
things under the sun, the end came to our 
good fare. Towards the end of summer 
our rations began to diminish, until they 



144 



Reminiscences of the War. 



consisiedof asmall piece of corn bread aud 
about a pint of boiled cow peas. 

"When first taken to the 'Castle' we 
were confined in what is termed as the 
'Court Martial Itoom' — a room in the rear 
of the main building. On Sunday the post 
chaplain by the name of Carpenter— a 
very poor carpenter of theology he was — 
came in to preach to the "Heathen Yan- 
kees.' I will give a specimen of his 
preaching and the reader can judge how 
much his services were appreciated. Dis- 
coursing on the glories of Heaven, he re- 
marke(l, 'Why, my hearers, the Confeder- 
acy in all her glory is nothing in comi^ar- 
ison with the glory of heaven.' Had he 
taken the other 2ilcif^e for the comparison 
the bill would have been nuich better till- 
ed. Prisoners were from lime to time 
taken from the Court Martial lloom and 
distributed in other rooms in the building. 
Dr. Kauflfman, J. Porter ]>rown and 
myself were put in what was termed 'The 
Citizens' Room,' because all confined here 
were political prisoners. In other rooms 
were rebel convicts and Yankee deserters. 
These deserters were the worst used of any 
prisoners thatcaoje under my observation. 
They were the only prisoners I ever saw 
flogged. A little colored boy from York, 
Pa., captured during the invasion, was in 
Castle Thunder, but was allowed to go and 
come at his pleasure. It was Joe's — that 
was the only name we knew him by — 
business to conduct fresh arrivals to their 
rooms, and whenever we heard his cry of 
'Fresh Fish,' we knew that some otiier 
unfortunate ones were to be added to our 
number. Joe usually before leaving his 
charge would caution them to 'liook out 
when you get in there or them fellows 
will mug you.' That is, go through them 
and steal whatever might be worth steal- 
ing. In some parts of the building tliis 
was generally the case with fresh arrivals. 

"Divided by a plank partition from the 
room we were in was the 'Condemned 
Cell,' and it was supposed that all persons 
put there were under sentence of death, 
which was no doubt true. A fine looking 
young man, known in prison by the name 
of Cole, said to be from Kentucky, was 
one day brought into the corridor and 
placed in double irons — that is wrists and 
ankles were manacled. I witnessed the 
ironing and never saw, apparently, such 
cool indifference in any one. Whilst the 
irons were being rivited on he stood and 
whistled, paying no more attention to 
what was being done than if the irons 
were being put on some one else a thous- 
and miles away. There were one or two 
others in the cell where he was put. In a 
short time after Cole was put in this cell; 
throughout the day and night considera- 
ble noise was heard, such as the clanking of 



chains and thumping their balls upon the 
floor. This was kept up for some time 
and to us it seemed mysterious. One 
night the mystery was exi)lained. About 
eleven o'clock we were aroused by the dis- 
charge of a musket in the corriclor below 
us, followed by groans. We soon learned 
that C'ole and a fellow prisoner had made 
tlieir escape from the cell, disarmed the 
guard and shot him, one of them taking 
his musket and accoutrements, the other 
marching by his side as though a prisoner. 
They went out through the streets and it 
was reported that they got out of Rich- 
mond and finally reached the Union line. 
Of the truth of their final escape I cannot 
vouch, Wiiile the noise we heard was 
going on, they were engaged in getting 
off their irons and sawing a hole in the 
floor, through which they escaped. Next 
morning I went down stairs, and looliing 
in tlie corridor saw the poor fellow that 
had been on guard lying there dead. It 
made me feel very sad, but I could find no 
fault with Cole or his companion for what 
they had done. No doubt it was with 
them, 'Your life or ours.' 

"While in the (Jastle I met Alexander 
Lewis, a colored man, from this place, 
known to many of our citizens, aud now 
employed, I tliink, at the National hotel. 
Alex, was captured and taken to Rich- 
mond and sent to the Castle and put in 
charge of the culinary department. We 
could buy something at the Butler's called 
coffee, but none of us could tell what it 
was composed of. But after we had this 
'coffee,' the trouble was to make it, for 
there was neither stove nor fireplace in 
our room. We finally bargained with 
Alex, to prepare it for us in the cook 
house. In the morning you could have 
seen parties with cords of every descrip- 
tion waiting their turn at a certain window 
to lower their vessels aud receive their 
coffee (?) from Alex. This was in the fall 
when the mornings began to be cool, and a 
cup of this stuff served to warm us up after 
we had slept on the soft side of the floor. 
This was before I was lucky enough to 
own a bunk. 

One evening about the time the elections 
were held in Pennsylvania, two cavalry- 
officers — a Captain and Lieutenant — of the 
Rebel army were brought to the Castle 
and placed in the Citizen's room. Dur- 
ing the evening the Captain joined 
our group, who were discussing the 
topics of the day, among others the elec- 
tions in Northern States that were about 
that time held. Not knowing who we 
were, or where we came from, he began to 
spread his views, and make assertions 
which we knew to be utterly false. I 
kept quiet until he asserted tliat at elec- 
tions held in Pennsylvania, Democrats 



Reminiscences of the War. 



145 



were either not permitted to vote, or were 
marched to the polls at the point of the 
bayonet, and compelled to vote the Repub- 
lican ticket. That was more than I could 
stand, and I said to him,' Excuse me, sir, 
but you have been asserting some things 
in regard to the elections in Pennsylvania 
that are incorrect. I have seen elections 
held there, and I never saw anything like 
what you say.' At this he became very 
angry, and turned towards me and said, 
'Where did you come from, and who are 
you r" I told him who I was and where I 
came from, when he said, 'I know you, 
and have seen you many a time.' About 
that time I began to feel a little shaky, 
and thought, 'Is this fellow going to 
trump up something against me to get me 
into more trouble?' I said to him, 'I 
think you are mistaken ; I have no recol- 
lection whatever of ever having seen youV 
By this time his indignation had some- 
what subsided, and he said, 'Do you re- 
member a person by the name of Glenn, 
who accidentally, one night in a fracas in 
Chambersburg, shot a friend named Mc- 
Laughlin V I said, 'Of course I do.' 
'Well, I am the man.' Home of our citi- 
zens may remember the occurrence. It 
took place, as near as I can remember, 
between 1857 and 1859, on North Main 
street, at a house of questionable charac- 
ter. After this the subject of elections 
was dropped, and he began to ply me with 
questions thick and fast in regard to 
Chambersburg and the people he knew, 
among others, what had become of his 
friend McLaughlin ? I told him that he 
had lost his life at F'redericksburg fighting 
for the old Hag. At this he seemed much 
affected. The conversation by this time 
had taken a very pleasant turn, and was 
continued until late in the night. In a 
day or two the Captain and his Lieuten- 
ant were taken away and I never heard of 
them afterwards. I understood that they 
had been placed under arrest for some 
breach of discipline. When I retired to 
my bunk I asked Porter Brown, who 
shared my bunk, if he recognized the man 
I had been talking with ? He said 'Don't 
tell him I am here; my father was Sherifi" 
when he was in prison for that shooting.' 
Hut by some means Glenn found Porter 
out, and they had long chats together." 

"iSome time in October, ISi;;}, in compa- 
ny with many others, we were sent to Sal- 
isbury, North Carolina, to be held as hosta- 
ges for a like number of persons held l»y 
our government for bushwhacking, bridge 
burning, &c. Salisbury at that time, con- 
sidered as a liebel prison, was not the 
worst place in the (-onfederacy. During 
the winter of 18n;;and summer of 18G4, we 
got along pretty fairly considering that we 
were 'in jail.' The number of prisoners 



was about five to six hundred. The lar- 
ger number were Rebel convicts, senten- 
ced to 'solitary' confinement with 'ball and 
chain,' both of which were 'thin,' for they 
had the same privileges of going out and 
coming in that others had. As to balls 
and chains, a large cistern upon being 
cleaned, revealed about a cart load of them 
that had been taken off and thrown in by 
the prisoners. The building used as a 
prison had been a cotton factory. It was 
large and four stories high. It, with a 
number of small buildings, formerly used 
for offices and operatives, afforded shelter 
for all. The stockade contained about 
three acres enclosed by a high board fence 
near the top of which a platform extend- 
ed. On this platform the sentries were 
placed. A well of good water and a num- 
ber ot forest trees were inside the stock- 
ade. Every morning the rebel convicts 
were made to sweep the greater portion of 
the grounds. At one time Dr. Curry was 
surgeon in charge. He was also a Doctor 
of Divinity and frequently on the Sab- 
bath preached to us. 

"From October, the time of our induc- 
tion to Salisbury, nothing of special im- 
portance transpired, until near Christmas. 
A number of sailors — merchantmen, who 
were prisoners — had a lot of bunting, and 
it was agreed that a flag should be made 
and at Christmas we would have 'a jolly, 
good time.' The sailors went to work and 
made a flag and on Christmas eve the good 
time began. One of the prisoners had an 
old violin, and the 'Grand March' began 
after dark, the fiddle leading, and every 
fellow that could sing 'Rally around the 
flag boys,' joined in the procession. Round 
and round the room we went, singing 
and cheering the old flag, which attached 
to a stick, was carried at the head of the 
procession. We kept this up until about 
midnight. By some means the author- 
ities learned that we had a United 
States flag in our room, when a search 
was made and our flag taken from us and 
placed upon the top of the building with 
the Union down— a sign of distress. It 
was certainly appropriate for us, for we 
were in distress. How long it was allow- 
ed to remain there I have forgotten, and 
what became of it afterward I never knew. 

"Some time in the winter some of the 
boys conceived the idea of tunnelling out. 
Among the number was J. Porter Brown 
and Thomas McDowell, both well known 
citizens of Chambersburg. The lower floor 
of the building, in which we were confin- 
ed, was not occupied. It was under this 
floor that it was decided to tunnel. A 
plank was taken up and through the open- 
ing one went below. There were from 
two to two and a-half feet between the 
floor and the ground. The men were divid- 



146 



Reminiscences of the War. 



ed into working parties, so many for each 
day. As a guard was stationed at the door 
leading into this room, it took some time 
before the number detailed could all get 
through, but aseachonegot down through 
the floor he went to work. The tools used 
were anything in the shape of iron, from 
a case-knife to an old gate hinge, as much 
twine as could be got and a couple of small 
boxes. The mode of operation was this, — 
as many as could get in dug loose the 
earth. Another filled it into the boxes; 
others with the twine drew them away. 
They would stay down under the floor the 
greater part of the day working like beav- 
ers. The work had been going on in this 
way for some time when, as the boys said, 
some one 'blowed' on them, and those who 
had been engaged at it were taken out, 
'Bucked and Gagged' and afterwards put 
into a dungeon. After their release from 
the dungeon, the commandant had the 
floor taken up and comjielled them to car- 
ry stones and fill up the hole. And such 
a hole as it was — largeas an ordinary sized 
cistern. After the hole had been filled 
the floor was nailed down again. 

Not long after this, notwithstanding this 
failure, another party took it into hand, 
and after working awhile they too were 
discovered and had to fill up the excava- 
tion they had made. Still another party 
— some rebel convicts, undertook to open 
the tunnel. They did not calculate dis- 
tance correctly, for when they made the 
opening out as they supposed into liberty, 
they found that they were still inside the 
stockade. The opening was one foot short 
from the fence. After this the authorities 
ordered the entire floor taken up. The 
room afterwards was used without a floor 
for a hospital." 

Up to this point I have followed the 
narrative given principally by Mr. D. M. 
Kiker. I will now introduce some impor- 
tant facts related l>y Mr. Eiker and A. K\ 
McGrath, and also culleii from a record 
kept by Mr. MeCSrath. The manner of 
subsistence was as follows : The men were 
divided into messes of two and four, or 
more, just as i)arties suited each other. 
One of the messes consisted of A. (!. Mc- 
Grath, I). M. Eiker, Dr. Kaufman, Alex- 
ander Harper, (now of Greencastle). and 
Captain May, of Pittsburg. Mr. McGrath 
was made commissary or caterer. He was 
also made commissary tor tlie hospital, as 
the following paper shows, Ihe original 
of which is now before me. 

Mr. McGrath, citizen prisoner, is hereby eon- 
stitnted commissnry agent for tlie distribntion 
of commissary supx''li*^''' within the I'rison Hos- 
pital, and will be allowed the extra ration usn- 
al imchn- such circumstances. He will receive 
the rations issucid for the jirison hospital and 
see that they are properly prejiared and dis- 



tributed according to the number of patients in 
each ward. He will also see that the su^iply 
of hospital wood is properly distributed accord- 
ing to the number of prisoners, and the size 
thereof in each ward. 

Jno. Wilson, Jr., 
Surgeon in charge of C. S. Military Prison Hos- 
pital, Salisbury, N. C. 
Jan. 26th. 1803. 

In the execution of his duties as set 
forth in the foregoing paper, Mr. McGrath 
was allowed the privilege of going outside 
of the prison into the town, as is shown in 
the following copy of his parole : 

(Duplicate.) 

confedekate states militaky prison, i 

Salisbury, N. C, > 

No. 38. Jan. 31st, 18G5. ) 

1 Allen C. McGrath, a political prisoner, do 
hereby give nay Parole of Honor not to at- 
tempt to Escape, or Aid or Abet others in 
making their escape, or do anything contrary 
to the Honor or interest of the Confederate States 
until duly exchanged, or this Parole shall be 
cancelled. 

I do further declare that I will confine my- 
self to such limits as the commandant of the 
Post or Prison shall designate — to the limits of 
Salisbury, N. C. A. C. M'Grath. 

Witness: J. L. Lyerly. 

Approved : ,Jno. H. Gee, 3faj. Commahdin;/. 

The following is Mr. M'Grath 's pass : 

("onfederate States Military Prison, j) 
Salisbury, n. C, [ 
No. 21. January 31st, 18(55. ) 

The bearer, A. C'. McGrath, will be allowed 

to pass the of the prison during the day 

time only for 30 days. 

Jno. H. Gee, 
Major Commanding. 

That those of our citizens associated 
with Mr. McGrath in the prison would be 
benefitted by the liberty allowed liim in 
lirocuring articles of food and other con- 
veniences, wliich the prison regulations 
did not supply, will appear in the facts yet 
to be related. The I'ost Sutler, Mr. L. 
Tafl", who took a kind interest in our citi- 
zen prisoners, agreed to furnish them with 
such articles as they needed, receiving his 
])ayment as tliey earned money in tlie waj' 
hereinafter designated, or at some future 
time. Mr. McGrath run up accounts witli 
him amounting to as high as twenty -eight 
hundred dollars, and in one case over three 
tliousand dollars. At the time of tlieir 
departure from the South, Mr. INlcGrath's 
account was over two thousand dollars, 
and a year or two after the close of the 
war Mr. Taff visited Mr. McGrath at this 
place and enjoyed his hospitality and re- 
newed old acquaintance for a week or two, 
wlien this account was adjusted by the 
payment of some three liundred and sev- 
enty-five dollars in greenlmcks, which was 
entirely satisfactory to Mr. Taff', for tlie 



Reminiscences of the War. 



147 



l»rices charged for the articles were pro- 
portioiieil to the market value of C'onfed- 
erate scrip at tlie time of the purcliase. 

]\1[r. INIcdrath's method was to keep an 
accouut of the expenditures for the mess 
for a mouth, at the expiration of wliich 
each person was charged for his share, as 
well as for any extra luxuries, as will be 
shown presently. To give an idea of the 
manner of living, as well as the prices 
paid, J copy a few items from Rlr. Mc- 
({rath's book now before me: l! H'S. coflee 
$1:0 ; box shoe blacking $.! ; U U)s. sugar 
$20; stockings $l;>; Hour $l(i; pepper $l.oO; 
l»eef $ls ; chicken $10 ; goose $.">() ; apjjles 
$4 ; dried apples $5 ; soda$;> ; cabbage $10 ; 
potatoes $:20 ; turnips $6; bacon, ") tt)s. 
$30; chicken $20; parsnips $">; envelopes 
$5 ; onions $5 ; sausage $•') ; eggs $oO ; but- 
ter $(iO ; molasses $1.S..50. Judging from 
the frequent charges for potatoes, tobacco, 
onions and such luxuries, with an occa- 
sional goose at thirty dollars, and chick- 
ens at from seven to ten dollars, with all 
the other necessary "fixins" for the table, 
it will be seen that McCJrath was the right 
man for the place. The occasional char- 
ges of several dollars for needles and thread 
suggests the idea of sewing on buttons and 
mending clothes. In the individual ac- 
counts charged to the persons composing 
the mess, I find one person, whose name I 
withhold lest he be charged with gross ex- 
travagance, charged with tobacco $6 ; 
tooth-brush ;$o ; share in mess $86.00 ; to- 
bacco $10; thread $1.80; tobacco $6; stock- 
ings $6.50 ; salt $2.50; chicken, (perhaps 
he was an invalid and needed something 
extra), $10; pie $2; envelopes $5 ; apples 
$5 ; medicine purchased in town $25. 
About the only article of luxury charged 
to Mr. Eiker, other than his share in a 
goose at thirty dollars, chickens at ten dol- 
lars, and other things in proportion, is 
twenty dollars for a hreaatpin. Mr. Ei- 
ker explains this purchase in this way : 
Some impecunious prisoner had this arti- 
cle of jewelry and needing tobacco or some 
other things moretlian it, traded it to him 
for twenty dollars in Confederate scrip. 
Mr. Eiker yet has this breastpin and says 
it is a very valuable one. 

It would be injustice to Mr. McGrath to 
pass by his skill as a caterer to his mess 
without referring especially to his abilities 
in making pies and Indian puddings. It 
might he that some of our liotels or res- 
taurants need a lirst-class cook or baker, 
or some of our lady readers might desire 
to take lessons in these desirable acquire- 
ments, and justice to them as well as to 
Mr. McGrath requires that he be placed 
upon record here. Coming into the pris- 
on one day, he was asked what he had 
procured for dinner V "Nothing," he re- 
plied, "but I'll see about that." (loingout 



again for a little while he returned with 
some blackberries and flour. 5*rocuring 
some water, he put in the flour and began 
the process of making pies. With the rim 
of his cap turned up so as not to interfere 
with his sight, and all eyes turned upon 
him as he proceeded to knead the dough, 
and occasionally stopi)ing in the interest- 
ing process to answer some question, or to 
attend to some other duty, at the same 
time endeavi)ring todisentangle his fingers 
from the sticky stuff by wiping them 
upon his pantaloons, he succeeiled in plac- 
ing before his hungry, but admiring mess, 
several delicious blackberry pies. True, 
they were not very short and crisp, for 
they were composed only of flour, water 
and blackberries, but short pie-crust was 
not wholesome for persons accustomed to 
so little out-door exercise. The subject of 
discussiqn while at tlinuer was, whether 
the jolly baker had not as much dough 
upon his trousers as in the pies! "Ah," 
says Eiker, "my mouth watered when I 
looked upon those pies, and water yet 
whenever I think of them." But if Mc- 
Grath had one specialty over another it 
was in making Indian Puddings. Com- 
ing in one day with near a peck of black- 
l)erries, we inquired what he was going to 
do with them ? The delectable idea of 
blackberry pies danced before our imagi- 
nation. "Never you mind," said he, "I'll 
show you." After mixing the meal and 
making up the dough, and putting in the 
blackberries, a halt was called. A bag was 
necessary to boil it in. What was to be 
done now V Mae set his wits to work to 
get over this difticulty, and after consider- 
able "beating around," a happy thought 
suggested itself to him. A pair of draw- 
ers belonging to some one of the prisoners 
was seen hanging on the wall. No sooner 
did these come under his notice than he 
was out of his trouble. What use has a 
person for the luxury of drawers in jail V 
and why put on such appendages of civ- 
ilization and gentility when all could not 
have the same ? Taking out his knife he 
cut ofl one leg, washed it and put the 
l)udding in and soon it was boiled and 
ready for use. "Mac" says the pudding bag 
was not exactly to his liking when he put 
it in the pot, but when he took it out it 
was clean and white. But now another 
dilemma confronted them. Indian pud- 
ding, even though so artistically made, 
was not a savory dish without sauce. 
Where was that to be had V Wine was 
out of the ([uestion, but Dr. Kaufman 
thought commissary whiskey would 
answer, and as he was acting as assistant 
surgeon and had access to the drug and 
medicine department, he borrowed of the 
Confederacy a small quantity and the 
hill of fare was complete. W^hen 



148 



Reminiscences of the War. 



the i)uddinjj, llavoreU with the doc- 
tor's captured whiskey, was set before 
the admiriug mess, it was unanimously 
decided that it was an improvement even 
upon "Mac's" pies. Surely such genius as 
Mr. McGratli displayed in catering to his 
mess is worthy of everlasting remem- 
brance, and so far as I can do so I give 
him this immortality of fame. 

After this pleasant digression, I return 
now to Mr. Biker's account. "As a mat- 
ter of recreation, and witli the view to 
turning my opportunities to the best 
account, I turned my attention to making 
jewelry out of bones. I usually made two 
finger rings a day, which I sold to the 
Johnnies at fifteen dollars a piece in 
"Confederate shucks." These I used to 
defray expenses or turned into Greenbacks, 
at the rate of from three to ten, and some- 
times twenty dollars in currency for one 
dollar Federal money. Brokers in the 
prison were sometimes as plentiful as in 
Wall street. In the morning they were usu- 
ally "on 'Change," with fists full of Con- 
federate scrip. The usual inquiry was, 
"How much are you paying to-day?" "Five 
forone. How much do you pay ?" "Ten 
for one." It is said that in some cases 
Confederate officers furnished this f-crip to 
exchange into Greenbacks, they paying a 
commission to the persons negotiating for 
them. At one time a broker from Rich- 
mond, said to haye been sent by the Con- 
federate Government, came to Salisbury, 
and advertised through the stockade by 
posters that on the followingday he would 
be on hand to purchase greenbacks, and 
would i)ay three dollars for one. Among 
the prisoners was a sailor from Philadel- 
phia, and although a Norwegian by birth, 
he was one of the truest and shrewdest of 
Yankees. This man's name was Jack 
Lovell, and he acted sometimes in the 
capacity of a broker. After seeing the 
Richmond broker's advertisement. Jack 
swore that he would make him pay for 
Greenbacks. True to his threat. Jack 
went next morning "on 'Change," and 
"bulled the market" so that before the 
Richmond chap came upon the board 
Greenbacks were up twenty for one in 
Confederate scrip. The consequence was 
the Richmond fellow could not geta single 
dollar. One of the Yankee prisoners had 
brought with him some two dollar bills, 
also some fifty cent fractional currency. 
These he raised to larger amounts so 
adroitly that he "shoved" them upon tlie 
Johnnies for sums ranging from three to 
six hundred dollars. At length the fraud 
was [discovered, but the perpetrator was 
not. 

"What I have been saying may be 
termed the bright side of our prison life at 
Salisbury, and I will now giye the reader 



the other or dark side. Some time during 
the month of October, 18(j4, about 11,(I00 
Federal prisoners were sent to our prison. 
Then what had been, during the summer, 
all things considered, a tolerably fair 
place — perhaps one of the best regulated 
prisons in the Confederacy, was turned 
into a pandemonium. Men were turned 
into the stockade like cattle into a field, 
without shelter. Winter coming on, and 
the rations poor, their condition was un- 
promising indeed. The authorities did 
finally furnish a few leiits. All the build- 
ings, with one exception, were appropria- 
ted for hospital purposes. For about elev- 
en months I was placed in the hospital 
department, and my duty was to keep the 
books up to thetime of my escape. It was my 
duty to visit all the hospitals each morn- 
ing after "Surgeon's Call," to report 
deaths, convalescents, discharges, and to 
assign the sick to vacant places in the 
wards. Discharges, other than those 
made by the grim reaper, were rare. 
Eight o'clock has arrived, and I am about 
to start on my morning round. Will the 
reader go with me and witness the sad 
sights ? Here we are at Hospital No. 1, a 
frame building one and a half stories high, 
and about seventy-five feet long, and wide 
enough for a row of cots on each side. 
There is a chimney in the centre with 
two fire places facing from the centre. 
But what is the use of (ire places without 
wood— for such frequently was the case 
for several days at a time during the win- 
ter V The building was on a slope, and 
built on pillars of brick ten or twelve feet 
apart. Between these pillars the prison- 
ers had built up with clay, leaving small 
spaces to crawl in and out. This was a 
place of shelter for all that could get in. 
Of course at the upper end the space 
between the ground and fioor was not 
higher than barely to allow a man to 
crawl under. Poor fellows! Many were 
glad to crawl in there to seek shelter from 
the cold, and there many died. I have 
seen many a poor fellow cold in death 
dragged from under that building and car- 
ried to the dead house. But what means 
that crowd gathering at the end of the 
building ? Some are borne on the should- 
ers of comrades, others in blankets. This 
is "Surgeon's Call," and these poor fel- 
lows are coming with a vain hope that 
something may be done to relieve them of 
their sutterings. Some are begging for 
medicine ; others for admission to the hos- 
pital. It was indeed a sad duty for me — 
these morning rounds. Of all these poor 
fellows— brave defenders of their country 
—this will be their last sick call for some 
of them. To-morrow's sun will not arise 
for them. They will have gone where 
sickness and pain can never more reach 



Reminiscences of the War. 



149 



them. It may be thought that I exagger- 
ate wheu I say that .scores of them are 
making their last appeal for help ere they 
close their eyes forever to earth, but such 
is uot the case. During the winter the 
death rate reached as high as sixty a day. 
The burial squad with a wagon in which 
the bodies were piled like so many pieces 
of wood, many of them stripped of every 
particle of clothing, their arms dangling 
over the sides of the wagon and against 
the wheels, would daily pass around and 
carry the poor fellows who had died dur- 
ing the night to the place of burial. In 
some cases so many died that they could 
not all be buried in one day. But as there 
are five or six more hospitals to visit, we 
will uot tarry here to look inside to see 
the innumerable cases of wretchedness 
and suffering, but move on. AVe are now 
at Hospital No. 2. This is a small build- 
ing IG by 24 feet, having a chimney at 
each end. Ranged side by side, on a little 
straw spread on the floor, along the sides 
of the room, lay the poor fellows shivering 
with the cold, their only covering being 
rags, filth and vermin. As this hospital 
is a fair sample of all the others, and the 
narration of the horrible may not be 
agreeable to the reader, I will not enter 
into any description of them. 

A great deal of the terrible suffering en- 
dured by our prisoners mighi have been 
avoided, had the authorities given us tools 
and the privilege to use some of the tim- 
ber which was convenient and plentiful. 
Comfortable quarters could have been 
made for both the sick and the well. 
Frequently the hospitals would be with- 
out wood for a day or two at a time. At 
one time our well of water failed to supply 
the demand, when the commandant of the 
Post furnished some picks and shovels for 
the men to dig wells. But not being fur- 
nished with other implements, they were 
not very successful in procuring water. 
I have seen men so pressed for water that, 
scant as their rations were, they bartered 
bread for a drink of water. The earth 
taken out of these wells was utilized by the 
men by making it into large, square 
blocks, and with them building huts for 
their shelter. Any that were fortunate 
enough to have a piece of tent, or a blank- 
et for a roof over these huts could thus 
make a tolerably good shelter. Some dug 
caves in the ground and lived in them. 
The rations, never amounting to much, 
became smaller and worse in quality. At 
one time the bread furnished appeared to 
have been made of corn— cobs and all — 
and sorghum seed ground together. 

"Sometime in the month of November, 
1864, an attempt was made by a small 
squad to break out and capture the garri- 
son — they by some means having learned 



that two regiments had been ordered away 
and left. The regiments had left the gar- 
rison, but were yet at the depot in Salis- 
bury awaiting a train totake them to their 
destination. The squad began their work 
by attacking the relief and the guard and 
capturing their arms. The first intima- 
tion I had of it was in this way : I was 
sitting by a window in Hospital No. 1, 
and hearing the report of a gun, I suppos- 
ed that there had been some thieving 
going on at the Sutler's, or among the 
men, as was often the case. On looking 
out I saw a Federal prisoner with a gun, 
when I knew what was going on. In a 
short time the "Long Roll" was sounded, 
and the two regiments, which it was sup- 
posed had left the town, "double quicked" 
back to the stockade. These with the 
other soldiers on duty, and two pieces of 
artillery, opened fire upon the prisoners. 
After a time the firing ceased when an 
order came from the commandant to re- 
turn all the guns taken within a certain 
time, and if not returned by the time 
specified, he would open fire again and 
keep it up until they were returned. This 
order could not be complied with for by 
that time some of the guns had been 
thrown into a cistern that was about forty 
feet deep. The consequence was the order 
to open fire was given, and it was resumed 
by the infantry and the artillery. It was 
indeed a fearful experience. It would not 
have been so bad had we been permitted 
to fire back. The building I was in was 
weatherboarded, and the bullets whistled 
through it. Fortunately no one in the 
building was struck. Some balls struck 
the chimney and fell back on some bunks 
that were occupied by sick men. I do not 
now remember how long the firing contin- 
ued, but it seemed to me at the time to be 
ages. And I have forgotten the number 
killed and wounded. A number of men 
lying in a tent at the lower end of the 
ground, who had nothing to do with the 
outbreak, were torn to pieces by the artil- 
lery. I worked with the surgeons almost 
the entire night caring for the wounded. 
The artillery was charged with boiler 
punchings, and they made ugly wounds. 
I remember one poor fellow, quite a boy, 
from whose hand and arm we cut three of 
these boiler punchings. For several 
nights after this outbreak, whenever a 
person was seen moving about, some too- 
willing rebel was ready to fire upon him. 
Numbers of poor fellows secured their last 
furlough in that way. The "Dead Line," 
an imaginary line about five feet from the 
fence, was the limit set to the men, and 
none were allowed to pass it. Many poor 
fellows unthinkingly approached too close 
to this line and were shot down like wild 
beasts. And any rebel who had a desire 



I50 



Reminiscences of the War 



or ambition to excite a little uotoriety by 
killing a "Yankee" would watch his 
chance and make an approach to this line 
a pretext to tire. 1 forgot to say at the 
api)ropriate place that the guns thrown 
into the cistern, twenty-four in number, 
were taken from the cistern the day after 
the revolt. 

Attempts were made at diderent times 
after the fruitless and costly eftbrt, to 
escaj)e by tunnelling and other ways, and 
for doing so 1 have seen men bucked and 
gagged, tied up by the thumbs, stripped to 
the waist and tlogged until they would 
faint and hang limp in the cords that 
bound them. These i)unishments inflict- 
ed upon our men for their elforts to escape 
from their miserable bondage, were order- 
ed by Post Commander, Captain Alexan- 
der, a deserter from the United States 
Navy. This Captain Alexander had with 
him the finest specimen of a canine I ever 
saw — a Kussian blood hound. Whether 
he was used for hunting escaped prisoners 
or not I never knew. If he was I did not 
find it out. 

"Some time in Dec. 1864, Dr. Kaufman, 
J. l*orter Brown, T. H. McDowell, a 
North Carolinian by the name of Anges, 
and myself, (Eiker), managed to eflect 
our escape from our prison, and for a time 
tasted the sweetness of freedom. It was 
accomplished in the following manner: 
Brown had been selected by the surgeon 
in charge to go outside the stockade to the 
Dispensary for medicines for the prison- 
er's liospital, and a pass was furnished 
him for that purpose. The idea suggested 
itself to some of us that if that pass could 
be duplicated we could effect our escape, 
and accordingly McGrath was applied to. 
The result proved that lie could cook pass- 
es as well as bake pies and Indian pud- 
dings, and in a sliort time eacli of the four 
persons named, besides Brown, had the 
needed paper. Perhaps I ouglit not to 
have said anything about this for McGrath 
might yet be indicted for forgeiy. Tlie 
arrangement was to pass out of the prison 
separately between daybrealv and sunrise 
and meet at or near a certain designated 
point located by observation from the 
stockade. We accordingly presented our 
passes whicli were duly honored— the in- 
tervals between each one were sliort. I 
was the last to go ; Dr. Kaufman was next 
before me. He could not have been more 
than one hundred yards before me when I 
passed out, and yet strange to say, I saw 
nothing of him or any of the party from 
that time until the ISth day of Jan. 1865, 
when we met again in our old quarters. 
And what was unaccountably strange at 
the time, they failed to wait at the desig- 
nated place for all to come up. This was 
explained afterwards when we were re- 



turned to i)rison. It was noticed by each of 
us on i)assing the barracks that there was 
a considerable stir amongst the guard and 
fretjuent calls for 'corporal of the guard.' 
This caused a suspicion that information 
of our departure had been given. The 
first four managed to keep in sight of each 
other, and when they came together, they 
concluded that it was not safe to wait (or 
me and at once moved on. This 1 after- 
wards considered fortunate for me, for the 
following week I was taken sick and re- 
mained ill for aljout two weeks. When I 
gained the place designated, t looked for 
my comi)anious, in all directions-, and 
called them as loud as I thoughtadvisable, 
for 1 was scarcely out of hearing of the 
men in the barracks. After some time 
spent in wandering up and down the banks 
of a small stream, and through the bushes 
looking for them, I sat down on a stump 
to meditate. Well do I remember the 
morning, such as we usually have here in 
October — bright, crisp and frosty — just a 
morning to make one feel as though a new 
lease of life had been given. There I sat 
on thai stump 'cogitating,' enjoying the 
bright morning and my freedom — the first 
time in a year and a-half that I had gone 
anywhere without a man and gun to ac- 
company me. After due and deliberate 
consideration, 1 came to the conclusion 
that the boys were not to be found, and I 
would not undertake the trip alone. I 
then concluded that I would take a stroll 
into Salisbury, which was only a short 
distance away, take a look at the place, 
and then go back to my old quarters. No 
one molested me until I reached the en- 
trance to the stockade after returning from 
the town, when I experienced my first 
trouble. As I had destroyed my pass as 
soon as I had gotten outside, I had none 
now to show to get in again. The guard 
for awhile refused to let me enter, but at 
length I succeeded in pushing open the 
gate and going in. Of course I was not 
glad to get back again, but rather than 
take the risk of finding my companions, 
or taking the tramji alone, I went back. 
The reader may imagine, if he can, what 
were my feelings upon again entering this 
'Prison Pen,' after a few liours of freedom, 
and the thought that the boys were on 
their journey home and I left behind. It 
made me sick to think of it. This feel- 
ing was not decreased as I thought day af- 
ter day of my escaped comrades as near- 
ing 'God's countiy' and .soon being at 
their homes. 

"On the ISth day of January, 18(55, to- 
wards evening, three dirty, ragged and 
smoke-begrimmed men were turned into 
the stockade, and the word soon passed 
around that Kaufman, Brown and Mc- 
Dowell had been recaptured. In a short 



Reminiscences of the War. 



151 



time this report was conlirmed by the ap- 
pearance of the men themselves. They 
had gone towards Newbern, travelling 
about three weeks, and when within about 
six miles of the Union lines were recap- 
tured. The North Carolinian who was also 
captured at the same time, was not imme- 
diately returned to our prison, but in a 
short time after the return of the others, 
was also brought back and plrvced in his 
old quarters. 

"Having had a brief experience of lib- 
erty, we immediately after our return, be- 
gan preparations for another escape, which 
was effected February 18th, just one month 
after the return of these men. This was 
accomplished in this way : In the after- 
noon of Friday, February 17th, Dr, Kauf- 
man said to me that that night there 
would be an opportunity for four persons 
to escape, and asked me if I would be one 
of them ? The doctor, it will be remem- 
bered, was an assistant surgeon to the 
prisoner's hospital, and had opportunities 
for mingling with the guards and ascer- 
taining their feelings and sentiments 
which none of the rest of us enjoyed. And 
in his secret conferences he ascertained 
that a certain Corporal of the guard was 
willing for a compensation to permit a 
limited number of liis prisoners to pass 
out. Tiie Doctor had arranged with him 
that when it came to his turn to be on 
guard he would pass four of us out for 
twenty-live dollars each in Greenbacks, 
and that night was his turn. When the 
l>roposal was made to me by the doctor to 
be one of the four, 1 at first hesitated, for 
I had been unwell for sometime, and was 
afraid I could notendure the fatigue of the 
journey. But after considering the mat- 
ter for sometime I agreed to go.- Accord- 
ingly at the time agreed upon, l)r. Kauf- 
man, J. Porter Brown, a man by the name 
of fjJalbraith from Centre county, Penn- 
sylvania, and myself, passed out of the 
stockade handing theguard the sum agreed 
Jipon. Referring to my Diary, 1 find it 
reads thus : — "Left Salisbury at 1 ' o'clock 
A. M.. homeward bound." After passing 
out we travelled until daylight, and then 
laid in the woods during the day. After 
dark we started again, and reached the 
south branch of the Yadkin river, and as 
it was very dark we concluded to lie down 
and sleep until the moon would rise. As 
soon as the moon rose we set to work to 
build a raft on which to cross the river. 
Fortunately we had brought with us all 
the rope and twine we could find before 
we started, and having gathered a lot of 
rails and driftwood, we soon had the thing 
ready, when to our amazement we found 
that it would not swim. Daylight com- 
ing on we had to aliandon the raft and 
seek a place of concealment for the (lay. 



In the evening we again started, but be- 
fore reaching the road we heard a person 
coming up the road singing. One of our 
party went out to see who it was and met 
a colored man who told him that we were 
close to the Ferry, and that if we would go 
to the river and call, the ferryman on the 
opposite side would come over for us. After 
reaching the river we called for sometime 
before any one answered. Finally we 
heard the ferryman unchain his boat, and 
then came the words, 'Is you walkin' ?' 
When the boat reached our side we step- 
ped in and without a word from either 
party he pushed off from the shore. When 
we got out at the other side I said to the 
colored man (for such he proved to be), 
'Uncle do you know who we are?' 'No, 
I dosent,' he replied. 'We are Yankees,' 
I said. 'Is you V Ise put about sebenty 
of your men across dis winter," he re- 
plied. He then took us to his house and 
gave us our supper for which we paid him 
ten dollars in Confederate scrip. He then 
directed us to take the road and travel on 
as there was no danger. We intended 
flanking Mocksville during the night, but 
one of our party gave out and so we had to 
stop. We lay in a woods during that day 
with nothing to eat. During the after- 
noon of that day an old colored woman, 
gathering wood, came close to us, when 
Dr. Kaufman went out to see her in re? 
gard to something to eat, and for news. 
When she saw the doctor, her first words 
were, ''Don't come near me ; I's afraid of 
you." Wlien the doctor got close enough 
to her he told her who we were, when 
her fears were gone. In conversation with 
her she informed us that we were close by 
Mocksville, and that her master lived in 
the fir.^t house going into the town, and if 
we would call at a small house in the yard 
close by the fence and tap on the fence, 
she w'ould give us something to eat. She 
also told us that about .">()() rebel cavalry 
were lying close liy on the left side of the 
town— the side we intended taking had not 
one of our party given out. This wascer- 
tainlya providential interposition, for had 
he not given out we would have gone that 
way, and would most certainly have run 
into their camp and been captured. In the 
evening we followed the old lady's direc- 
tions and tai)ped on the fence. She came 
out bringing a loaf of corn bread and a 
piece of boiled bacon. After thanking 
and bidding her good-bye, we flanked the 
town on the right, stopping in a field to 
take supper off of old auntie's corn bread 
and bacon. I must say here that I never 
ate supper that tasted better. We travel- 
ed all that night, and the next day we lay 
in the woods near Farmington. In the ev- 
ening we started again and were frighten- 
ed from our course by what appeared to be 



152 



Reminiscences of the War. 



a rebel officer on horseback. When we 
left Salisbury we intended coming by way 
of West Virginia, and had been travelling 
in a northernly direction up to that time. 
This circumstance changed our course, 
and we turned westward. We travelled 
until morning when we lay down and 
slept, and when we awoke we found we 
were among a range of hills in which we 
travelled all that day. Towards evening 
it began to rain, and we stopped on one of 
those hills and began to make preparations 
to spend the night, gathering brush and 
leaves to make a shelter. While engaged 
in that way, a woman eame up a road 
that wound around the hill, when Dr. 
Kauftman went to the foot of the hill to 
meet her. On meeting her he asked her 
if there were any Union men about there ? 
After eyeing him sharply, she replied, 'If 
you are what I think you are, I can tell 
you all you want to know in a very few 
minutes.' After further conversation with 
her, the doctor repeated the question , when 
the reply was the same. Finally the Doc- 
tor told her that we were Yankees. She 
then said that the man who lived at the 
hill was a good Union man, and so were 
his boys. After further telling us that 
she had just come from the house, and left 
one of the boys there, she passed on up 
the hill. Dr. Kaufman then went down 
t6 the house to see about getting something 
to eat. The woman had been gone but a 
short time until she returned to the top of 
the hill and called to us that one of the 
boys was up there and if vve were 'all 
right,' he was also, and would meet us. I 
accordingly met him, and very soon dis- 
covered that he was what the rebels called 
a "Bush Boy" — that is a Union man, and 
conscripted, and having deserted the army 
had come home and was living among the 
hills, mountains and caves. In a very few 
minutes we were joined by some six or 
eight more, who had been notified and 
came to see us. After talking awhile, I 
suggested that we go on with our prepara- 
tions for spending the night, when one of 
our friends said that it was unnecessary, 
as it promised to be dark and rainy and he 
did not think any guards would be out 
that night. They also said that they 
would risk to take us down to their barn 
to sleep. After dark we were conducted 
down to their house and had a good supper. 
As soon as we were done eating we were 
taken back over the hill to their camp, 
where we remained until about o'clock, 
when we went to the barn and laid down 
in the hay. Before daylight we were called 
up for breakfast, and as soon as we were 
through with it we went back to the hills 
before it became quite light. After some 
more consultation it was agreed that some 
of the boys should go with us two or three 



miles to put us in the right way. They 
accordingly did so and when they had put 
us right and given us all the information 
they could, and directed us where to find 
the next friends, they bade us farewell. 
We started on and travelled all that day 
through a drenching rain, and towards 
evening we stopped and gathered some 
brush and leaves to make a shelter under 
which to spend the night. That night 
was the longest I ever experienced. The 
rain continued to fall all night long. It 
was rain above us, below us — rain to the 
right of us, and rain to the left of us. But 
that night, like all other nights, came to 
an end, and we made a start, and after 
wandering around for some time conclud- 
ed that we were completely lost. We ac- 
cordingly retraced our steps until we came 
insight of a house we saw the evening 
before. Brown was of the opinion that 
this house was the one our friends of the 
morning before, when about taking leave 
of us, directed us to call at for information 
for other friends. The rest of us hooted 
at the idea of its being the same, for they 
told us it was six miles from where we 
parted from them, and we had been trav- 
elling hard all day and supposed we had at 
least made twenty miles. At last to settle 
the matter Brown and I went to the house 
and sure enough it was the place we had 
been directed to. So with all our long and 
painful walking the day before, we had 
been zig-zagging, and perhaps been walk- 
ing in a circle and made about six or eight 
miles in a direct course. The persons we 
found there were friends, but could not en- 
tertain us as it was on a public road, and 
cavalry were passing back and forth, and 
some rebels lived close by. They, howev- 
er, gave us something to eat, and all the 
information they could in regard to the 
country and the people we were travelling 
amongst. They also directed us to an old 

lady — "Auntie Lucinda D " — living 

some distance beyond and near Hampton- 
ville. Whilst travelling on we saw an old 
gentleman riding through the woods, and 
tried to dodge him, but in this we failed. 
He came riding up to us when, as near as 
I can remember, the following conversa- 
tion took place: — 'Well, boys, you home 
from the army ?' 'Yes,' we replied. 
'Well liow are things going on there?' 
'AH right.' we said. 'Some of our lead- 
ing men around here think that it is not 
going as it should.' 'Never mind about 
that ; we've been fighting the Yanks for 
four years, and if necessary will fight them 
four years longer.' (How was that for 
'.yar»m//.') I don't know whether it 
was any consolation for the old gentleman 
or not, but he bid us good-bye and rode on 
when we again started on our tramp to 
find Aunt Lucinda D . Towards ev- 



Remimscejiccs of the War. 



15. 



ening we came across a colored man and 
two white boys. The man was working ; 
the boys hunting. When we got close to 
tlie colored man he said to us, 'You does 
not want to be seen, does you V Of course 
we answered that we did not. Just then 
the boys' dog began to bark some distance 
from us, when the colored man began 
peering through the woods, saying, 'I 
done see a s«(uirrel down thar.' This took 
with the boys, and away they went. We 
then had some conversation with our col- 
ored friend, asking him if he could direct 

us to Aunt Lucinda D 's ? He replied 

'that is her home over there,' pointing 
to a house in sight. He then said that one 
of those boys was her nephew, and calling 
the boy he asked him if his aunt was at 
home. He said she was not. He then 
said to the boys, 'Here are some gentle- 
men who wish to see your aunt — will you 
show them to the house and go for her V 
To this he readily agreed, and we were at 
once conducted to her house and the old 
lady was sent for. When she came home 
and we told her who we were, and that we 
had been directed to her house, she said 
she was glad to see us, and if we were not 
afraid to stay she was not afraid to keep 
us over night. It was a public place by 
the road side. The old lady prepared sup- 
per for us, after which she made a roaring 
tire in a large fire-place in her best room. 
We sat by the tire drying our wet clothing 
and chatting pleasantly with her until it 
was time to retire, when she made us 
•shake-downs' by the fire, where we en- 
joyed a good night's rest. The friends 
who liad directed us to this old lady told 
us she was what they termed a 'soothsay- 
er' — in other words a 'fortune teller, of 
which she gave us proof during the even- 
ing. Whilst sitting by the fire she brought 
out a pack of cards which she began to 
shuffle and 'run off,' talking ail the while. 
She told UP, 'you will get through all 
right, but will have some trouble.' She 
also cautioned us to beware of 'a dark- 
haired woman.' She further said that one 
of our party would take sick on the way. 
Of the 'dark-haired woman' we saw noth- 
ing, but think we heard of her before we 
reached the Union lines, of which I may 
speak further on in anotlier connection. 
The sick man proved to be Dr. Kaufman, 
for he actually was sick for several days . 
We discovered that the old lady's liouse 
was a kind of headquarters for loyally dis- 
posed pel'sons residing in that neighbor- 
hood. A young woman, whose husband 
was in the Union army, and her brother 
spent the same night at her house. In 
conversation I discovered that her fame as 
a soothsayer, or fortune teller, was her safe- 
guard for the superstitious of her neigh- 
borhood avoided her house. She said to 



me, 'they don't bother me much , I have 
sent a great many through, and you will 
get through all right.' 

"Feb. 25. This date covers one week 
si nee we escaped . After breakfast wo bade 
our kind hostess good-bye, and again 
started out in the rain. The young man 
who had spent the night with us went 
along some eight or ten miles as our guide. 
He took us to a family by the name of 
T-b-r. The old gentleman was not at 
home when we arrived, having "gone to 
town." The mother and her daughter 
prepared dinner for us. While they were 
thus engaged we entered into conversation 
with them, and told them we had been di- 
rected to find a man living in that locality 
by the name of Boggus, who perhaps 
could give us some information in regard 
to friends, route, &c. They expressed 
great surprise that we had been so direct- 
ed telling us that this man Boggus was 
one of the worst men in that neighbor- 
liood. He employed his time, they said, 
in hunting out citizens who were loyal to 
the old flag, and escaped prisoners. All 
this was certainly unaccountable to us, as 
it was the young woman whose brother 
had been our guide of that morning who 
had directed us to find this man Boggus. 
But I thought then, and think so still, 
that Aunt Lucinda's dark haired woman 
had something to do with it, for a little in- 
cident that occurred at 'Crab Orchard,' 
Tennessee, about three weeks afterward 
seemed to look that way. Of this, 
however, I will speak when I get to the 
place. After dinner we started again, the 
rain continuing to fall, and wandered, as 
we supposed, until towards evening, when 
we came to a new, unoccupied, and as we 
discovered after effecting an entrance, an 
unfurnished house. We thought our- 
selves fortunate in coming across this 
house, and concluded to get in, build a 
fire, dry our clothing, and have a good 
sleep. Before leaving Salisbury, each one 
of us provided himself with all the keys 
he could get, to be used in unlocking 
boats, &c. Stepping up to the door of this 
house each fellow whipped outhiskeysand 
found one which unlocked the door. What 
was our dismay when we pushed the door 
open to find the house filled with straw ! 
Of course that put us upon our guard, and 
making a fire was out of the question. 
The next best thing we could do was to 
bury ourselves in tne straw and try to 
keep warm, which was hard to iio with 
our clothing soaking wet. A shoi't time 
before dark we heard a noise at one of the 
doors, as if someone was trying to get mi. 
We thought our time had come, and when 
the door opened expected to see Boggus 
and his gang. But instead of this dreaded 
man the newcomer proved to be one of the 



154 



Reminiscences of tJic War. 



young women who had prepared dinner 
for us. To our astonishment we learned 
that we had been wandering around near- 
ly the whole afternoon, and had not gotten 
off of the plantation. This young woman, 
in the absence of her father, had come out 
to this house to feed some cattle that were 
in the field near by and opened the door to 
get provender for them. Sometime after 
dark a second party came to one of the 
doors, and having opened it, called us. 
This proved to be the owner of the premi- 
ses, a kind old gentleman, and a friend. 
Upon his return home he was informed of 
our being there and lie came through the 
darkness and rain to — I was about to say, 
to see us, for see each other we could not. 
But the old gentleman came in, sat down 
on the straw and spent perhaps an hour 
with us. When about to leave he kindly 
invited us to come to his house in the 
morning and take breakfast with him. 
Bidding us good night he went out and 
locked the door. 

"Sunday, Feb. 2()th. According to in- 
structions last night from our friend, when 
he invited us to take breakfast with him, 
we were out before daylight and on our 
way to liis house. This was necessary for 
his safety as well as ours, that our move- 
ments should be guarded. After breakfast, 
in company with the old gentleman, we 
returned to our quarters of the night 
before — the straw house — where a council 
was held. Our friend did not know much 
about the situation, but concluded to send 
us to some friends further on who, he 
thought, could give us information that 
would be of benefit to us. We according- 
ly bade him farewell, and with our guide 
of the day before started. We arrived at 
the place sometime during the forenoon, 
and received a hearty welcome from this 
friend and his good wife, who prepared 
dinner for us. During the afternoon we 
dried our blankets and clothing, and 1 did 
some darning of stockings and mending of 
clothes for the boys. In the evening this 
friend took us a few miles further on to 
other friends — a relative of his named 
W-b-u, a man loyal and true. A number 
of families of the same name lived in this 
neighborhood, all loyal. After supper we 
were conducted to a barn some distance 
away where we spent the night. The 
next morning we learned from our friend 
that a number of escaped prisoners had 
traveled this road before us. Among the 
number was Junius Henri Brown and 
Albert D. Richardson, both of the New 
York Tribune., and had made their escape 
from Salisbury in December. I might 
say here that these two men, Brown and 
Richardson, were prisoners with us in 
Salisbury, and that we were well acquaint- 
ed with them. They effected tlieir escape 



in about the same way we did. Both of 
them wrote books detailing their expe- 
rience in Southern prisons and the inci- 
dents of their escape to the I'^nion lines. 
We were also informed that a noted scout, 
a native of North Carolina, whose name I 
cannot now recall, was traveling back and 
forth to Knoxville, Tennessee, conducting 
escaped prisoners and recruits for the 
army. Of this scout's whereabouts at this 
time our friend did not know, but he 
promised to try and find him. We spent 
Monday and Tuesday among these fami- 
lies, expecting to hear something of this 
scout. On Tuesday night, not having 
heard ot the scout, our friend conducted 
us to another friend — Esquire B. — from 
whom he thought we might iearn some 
information. We arrived at the place 
about 11 o'clock; the family had retired. 
Our friend tried ihe door and found it un- 
locked, and went in and called to the man 
of the house — an old gentleman, who was 
in bed in anotlier part of the house— 

"Squire B , I have some friends with 

me who wish to stay with you to-night." 
His reply was, "God bless you, friends, 
lie down by the fire and make yourselves 
as comfortable as you can until morning." 
Our friend and guide bade us good bye 
and started home, when we laid down an<l 
soon were fast asleej). When we awoke in 
the morning and met the family, which 
consisted of the "'Squire" — an aged gen- 
tleman, two daughters and a son — a splen- 
did looking fellow — and wearing the uni- 
form of a rebel soldier, they welcomed us 
to their home. This young man had been 
in the army, but like many others had 
grown tired and disheartened and was 
home on a furlough. When breakfast 
was ready we were invited to the table, 
and whiie eating one of the daughters 
came in and told us that a number of 
armed men were coming towards the 
house. In less time than it takes to write 
it there were five young men going from 
the house in an opposite direction about as 
fast as they could, keeping the house be- 
tween them and the approaching soldiers. 
We ran a considerable distance through a 
laiie and then took to the hills. After 
gaining the top of a hill we stopped to 
reconnoitre, expecting to see the men 
coming after us. Seeing no one pursuing 
us, we waited sometime for something to 
turn up, when the 'Squire's son, who had 
run with us, said he would retujn to the 
house and see who they were. He did not 
return for perhaps an hour or more, when 
we began to feel uneasy. We were laying 
under a large pine tree. I arose and upon 
looking around saw seven rebel soldiers 
fully armed and equipped coming directly 
toward the tree. I thought that our time 
was surely come. They circled around the 



Reminiscejtces of the War. 



155 



tree and came to a halt. By this time the 
rest of our party were sitting up— the 
Johnnies looking at us, and we at them. 
They stood looking at us for perhaps a 
minute, and not a word passed between 
us, when they wheeled and marched down 
the hill. We were dumbfounded, and it 
took some little time to realize that we 
had not been recaptured. We knew that 
seven men armed could easily have cap- 
tured four unarmed persons. It was not 
long until the mystery was made clear. 
Our friend came back to us and reported 
them to be seven deserters from the rebel 
army on their way home to Mississippi. 
Tlieir errand to the '.Squire was to get 
.something to eat. When at breakfast they 
told the 'Squire tliat they had been in the 
army almost from the beginning of the 
war, and could never get a furlough to go 
home, and now they had left intending to 
go home ''peaceably if theycould, forcibly 
if they must." After learning who they 
were 1 regretted that we did not make 
known to them who we were. After 
hearing the report from our friend, and 
our recovery from our fright, we proceed- 
ed to interview him in regard to the situa- 
tion, when he informed us that the cir- 
cumstances under which he was at home 
rendered it very necessary for his safety 
that he should keep "out of sight" as much 
as possible, and that consequently he had 
no information to give us. After consulting 
a while as to what was best for us to do, we 
concluded to return to the friend who had 
conducted us the previous night to his 
house. Bidding him farewell, we at once 
set out upon our return, and finding our 
friend of the previous day, we spent the 
day with him and had three square meals, 
sleeping in good beds that night. Whilst 
sitting by the tire in the evening chatting 
with our host, a little girl of the family 
came running in greatly excited (we found 
that the children understood the situation) 
saying, "Man's coming." That was 
enough. It did not take us tive minutes 
to get away from that house and do some 
fast walking. After proceeding a consid- 
erable distance from the house, we con- 
cealed ourselves and waited to see what 
would next turn up. It was not long 
until a peculiar whistle brought us from 
our liiding place, when we met our friend 
who informed us that the strangers con- 
sisted of four persons, three of whom were 
escaped prisoners from Salisbury and a 
rebel soldier on horseback. The three 
prisoners had escaped from the stockade 
the same night we did. The whole four 
were under the influence of apple jack. 
They were a jolly, roystering set and such 
as we did not wish to travel with. Ac- 
cordingly we did not put in an appearance. 
After they left wo rotnrnod to the house 



and retired, sleeping well after the scare 
we had. 

"The following day, March 2d, we spent 
at the house of our friend, and the morn- 
ing after he piloted us across 'Brush 
Mountain' to another friend whose name 
was B-I-y. From him and his family we 
were the recipients of much kindness, and 
owing to rain and high waters we were 
compelled to remain with them three 
days. Part of this time we spent in tlie 
house and part in the woods. Our princi- 
pal object now was to find the scout pre- 
viously referred to, and our host, Mr. J*., 
gained for us all the information he could. 
The friends here all knew him, but could 
not tell where he was at that time. Mr. 
B. had a son who was working in a cotton 
factory on the Yadkin river, about six 
miles distant. He was expected home on 
the following Saturday evening if the 
river was not too high to cross, and from 
him it was supposed we could get the in- 
formation we desired. Whilst staying 
here a little incident occurred, and I think 
if I could at the time have got hold of 
Galbraith's throat, I would have stopped 
one snorer for that time at least. Some 
time during the day a woman was reported 
coming towards the house. Hearing this 
we started for a ladder leading to a loft 
overhead — the liouse being but a story and 
a half high. Dr. Kaufman, Brown and 
myself ascended the ladder, expecting Oal- 
braith would follow, but instead of doing so 
hestepped into another room in which were 
two beds. When we discovered that he 
was not coming up after us we drew up the 
ladder and closed the trap door and dispos- 
ed of ourselves upon the loft — Brown 
Ij'ing down upon a bed on the floor. We 
were but barely fixed before the woman 
came in. I was sitting in a chair directly 
over her, and through 9 crack in the fioor 
could see her and hear the conversation 
carried on between her and Mr. B. By 
and by I heard a snore and concluded that 
Brown had fallen asleep, but on looking 
around found that both he and Dr. Kauf- 
man were awake. Presently another 
noise, followed by others, and each suc- 
cessive one louder than the previous one, 
until the last grand finale — a real, tearing 
snort was reached. Then all was quiet, 
but there were three uneasy fellows in 
that loft during the 'overture." I could 
see and hear from the conversation below 
that the visitor heard the snoring. She 
inquired of Mrs. B. what it was? Mrs. 
li. evaded by replying that she supposed 
it was one of the dogs under the house. 
Her visitor looked very suspicious and pro- 
longed her visit until I thought she never 
would go, but at length she left, when I 
hastily descended from the loft and went 
lor Calbraith, but he denied that ho had 



156 



Reminiscences of tJie War. 



suurt'd at all. After the scare was over we 
liad considerable fun at his expense, and 
that uigbt made him sleep in the woods, 
as we did not think it safe to stay in tlie 
liouse. 

"Saturday, March 4th. This day Abra- 
ham Lincoln was inaugurated the second 
time President of the United States. This 
ilay we lay in the woods during a heavy 
rain. In the evening Mr, B.'s son came 
home from the factory, and upon being in- 
formed of our whereabouts, came out to 
see us. Sometime on Sunday he returned 
to the factory to make arrangements for 
crossing us over the river that night. In 
the evening with his father for our guide, 
we started for the river, and on the way 
we had to cross a road tliat was frequent- 
ed by rebel cavalry, liefore coming to 
this road we stopped to reconnoitre as best 
we could iu the dark, and heard the tramp 
of horses. Secreting ourselves until they 
passed us, we crossed over on a run and 
continued running until we gained a 
woods, when we again stopped to listen. 
This time we did not hear the tramp of 
horses, but of men, and they seemed to be 
in about as great a hurry as ourselves. 
We did not stop to ascertain who they 
were nor what their haste was about, but 
again took to our heels. The moon was 
shining but it was somewhat cloudy. 
Whilst running we became separated, and 
at our first halt managed to get together 
again. We agreed that our guide, Mr. B., 
should lead and we would follow, and as 
we went on we could still hear the party 
coming after us. We again started, stop- 
ping occasionally to listen. Each time we 
could hear our pursuers. Finally we 
heard one say, 'Well, let them go.' We 
were close to each other, but a fence be- 
tween us. After a short consultation we 
concluded to make ourselves known to 
them. Dr. Kaufman and myself, both 
armed with a club, marched up to the 
fence and challenged — 'Who are you?' 
The reply was, 'Friends, and we have 
friends of yours with us.' During this 
conversation they were advancing toward 
the fence when we ordered them to 'Halt,' 
which was promptly obeyed. We then 
inquired who these friends were. He re- 
plied, 'I have their names on a piece of 
paper in my pocket and will give it to 
you.' Coming to the fence he handed me 
a paper, and in the moonlight I managed, 
with his assistance, todecipher the names. 
There were three of them, all from Salis- 
bury, two of whom we knew. After par- 
lying awhile they were brought forward 
and proved to be as represented, and the 
same party we ran away from a few even- 
ings before, excepting the rebel soldier. 
Of course we were in for it now, but we 



did not carc^ mwcii for their conijiany.— 
Scare No. .'>. 

"We continued on to the river, and were 
met by friends who ferried us over. The 
river was very turbulent, but we got over 
safely. Here we found a supply of good 
rations, provided by friends— the employ- 
ees of the cotton factory, who had been 
apprised of our coming by the young man, 
B-l-y. After spending a short time very 
pleasantly with these kind friends, and 
receiving such information as they could 
give, we bade them farewell, and with 
one of their number as a guide, took up 
our line of march. This guide took us to 
a point about ten miles on our way to an- 
other friend, in whose barn we spent the 
remainder of the night. 

"March 6th. We spent this day in the 
woods communicating with some friends 
in regard to a man living In the neighbor- 
hood (William D ) whose services we 

secured as a guide, and who finally decided, 
not only to conduct us, but also to go 
through into the Union lines himself. 
This latter, however, he did not succeed 
in doing for the reason that after travel- 
ling some time with us, it was reported 
that the Yankees were likely to advance 
into the locality wliere he lived, and he 
returned home so that he could 'settle' 
with some of his rebel neighbors some 
'old scores' he had against them. During 
this day we were joined by John W-b-n, a 
Lieutenant of the Rebel army, who had 
been on duty at Salisbur3^ He was at 
home on furlough, and we had met him a 
week previously at his cousin's, a friend 
with whom we had stopped. He joined 
us for the purpose of coming through to a 
friend of his in Iowa, and he finally suc- 
eeded in getting to him. At dark, with 

William D as our guide, we again 

took up our line of march — our number 
having been increased to eight persons. 
During the night we travelled through 
some very rough country, crossing several 
hills and two branches of Roaring River 
To cross this we had to undress ourselves, 
tie our clothing in bundles, and plunge iu 
the water — not a very pleasant experience 
for a night in March. At about o o'clock 
a. m., a halt was called and we all went to 
bed — that is laid down and slept. 

"March 7th. At daybreak we arose 
from our bivouac, and started again on 
our march, and after proceeding about 
six miles, we found a friend who kindly 
gave us our breakfast, after which we 
took to the woods and spent the day and 
started again at dark. Having a moun- 
tain to cross, we experienced considerable 
difficulty in doing so. Before reaching 
this mountain we called at the house of a 
friend to whom we had been directed, 
who told us of other friends further on. 



Reminiscences of the War. 



'57 



Wlieii weiiskeil liiui liovv we were tojjetto 
theu), he said 'Do you see yon mouutain'r" 
We looked iii the direction indicated, and 
(Uscerued a huge pile looming up in the 
darkness. Pointing with his linger, he 
then said, 'You cross in that direction, 
and at the foot, on the other side, you will 
find friends I have told you of.' Bidding 
him farewell we went on towards the 
mountain, reaching which we found no 
road, no path, but an abundance of rocks, 
l)rush, &c. But we managed to reach the 
summit, and pretty well down the other 
side, by about 3 o'clock a m., when we 
were brought to a halt by the squaking 
of chickens and lights flitting back and 
forth. A halt was ordered and a consulta- 
tion held, and we came to the conclusion 
that we had run into some rebel soldiers 
who we engaged in robbing hen roosts, 
and that we had better retire and sleep 
until daylight, which we accordingly did. 

"March 8th. We arose early, made our 
toilets, and resumed our march down the 
mountain, and finding the friend to whom 
we had been directed, a widow lady — Mrs. 

V , enjoyed a good breaktast which 

she kindly prepared for us. This lady in- 
formed us that the commotion among the 
chickens, which we had heard during the 
night, was caused by other 'varmints' 
than rebel soldiers. After paying our re- 
spects to the good breakfast prepared by 
our kind hostess, and receiving her best 
wishes, we moved on. The mountains 
having become numerous, we crossed an- 
other one, and arrived at the home of 
other friends where we had dinner. In 
the afternoon, in accordance with instruc- 
tions from the friend with whom we took 
dinner, we crossed another mountain. 
This mountain, by the way, is the one 
which caused considerable excitement 
during the past year or two by various 
eruptions. There had been eruptions before 

we crossed it. Our guide, William D , 

whilst crossing, called our attention to 
several places which gave evidence of vol- 
canic disturbances, but as it was raining, 
and we were in search of liberty and not 
on scientific explorations, we did not stop 
long to inspect the phenomena. In a lit- 
tle ravine between two small mountain 
ranges, we found a good log house unoccu- 
j)ied, which we took possession of, and 
made preparations to spend the night 
there. We gathered wood and made a 
roaring fire, and with some straw we 
found on the floor, made beds and slept 
well. 

"March iith. The friend with whom 
we took dinner yesterday, according to a 
promise made us before leaving his house, 
joined us this morning to conduct us sev- 
eral miles, and show us where to cross the 
Blue Ridge. After taking us out of the 



wilds, where we spent the night, he 
brought us to a public road wliich crossed 
the Blue Kidge, but as it was unsafe for 
us to cross by this road, he directed us to a 
point on the summit, saying, 'There is 
where you must cross ; it is some ten or 
twelve miles distant, and the only way to 
reach that point is to go straight to it re- 
gardless of paths or roads.' When the poet 
wrote 

' 'Tis distance lends encliantiiicnt to the view,' 

he did not have ten or twelve miles to 
walk to reach a mountain top, and no road 
or path to travel on. I tried to catch the 
'enchantment,' but could not. It did not 
enchant worth a cent. Our friend here 
bid us farewell and turned back, and we 
began our mnrch, keeping the road for a 
mile or two, until we came to the foot of 
the mountain. When we were about to 
leave the road, we heard some persons 
coming in our rear. We ran into the 
bushes and took a survey and saw what 
we supposed to be — and what a friend the 
next day told us we had every reason to 
think they were— a squad of Rebel caval- 
ry— 'Price's Guerrillas,' he termed them, 
who, he said, had been operating in that 
country. We laid flat on the ground until 
they had passed. They passed within a 
hundred yards of us, and we could tell by 
their conduct that they were a jolly set 
and in a jolly mood, singing and shouting 
as they passed. After they had gone by, 
we moved on a spur of the mountain, hid- 
ing them from us, but we could hear them 
for a mile or more. After we had gotten 
pretty well up the side of the 'Spur,' we 
concluded to lay by and let them get well 
out ot our way before we ventured to the 
top. The morning was beautiful. The 
sun was shining, bright and warm. 
Whilst lying by some pigs came along, 
and fearing that we might run short of 
rations, we confiscated one of them. 
Alter slaughtering and dressing it we 
started for the summit. During the after- 
noon a change came upon the air indica- 
ting rain, and by the time we reached the 
summit we were in a terrific storm of rain, 
which soon turned to snow. After wan- 
dering along the top a short distance, we 
came to an old house, the roof of which 
had fallen in and the chimneys were down 
to within a few feet of the ground. Here 
we crawled in for shelter, but fearing the 
rebel cavalry might be lurking somewhere 
near, we did not venture to make fire at 
first ; but going out in diflerent directions 
to reconnoitre, and seeing or hearing 
nothing of them, and the storm growing 
fiercer and the cold increasing, we at 
length became desperate, and determined 
to build a fire. The house was built of 
logs, and the plastering between theiu had 



15'^ 



Reminiscences of the War. 



fallen out, so that the reader can judge 
how successful we were in making our- 
selves comfortable that night. We start- 
ed our fire and piled on wood, causing the 
flames to shoot up into the air and out 
through the crevices of the chimney, and 
when we had a good bed of coals we laid 
on our (or somebody else's) pig and roasted 
it. After a hearty repast on roast pig, 
we retired to sleep — well, rather to freeze, 
for that night I really thought we would 
freeze to death, but by going to the fire 
every few minutes to warm up, we at 
length worried through the night. 

"Friday, March 10th. Arose early, 
much the worse for the storm. After 
shaking ourselves to become fully aroused, 
we started down the western slope, in the 
meantime looking out for our breakfast 
After travelling some distance we espied 
a small house on the mountain side. A 
couple of our party went to this house to 
see about getting something to eat, and in 
a short time a signal was given for the 
rest of the party to follow. Arriving ai 
the house we found an old gentleman by 

the name of P , his wife and daughter 

with himself, composing the family. 
They prepared us breakfast consisting 
of corn bread and bacon, and J can 
assure the reader 
royal feast. Ijarge 
bacon, crisp and 



it was to us a 
plates of 'sizzling' 
brown, and corn 



bread, sweet and hot. It would have 
made a boarding house keeper weep to see 
how rapidly things disappeared at that 
table. But our good friends did nothing 
of the kind, but busied themselves in fry- 
ing bacon and baking corn bread to meet 
the unexpected drain upon their larder. 
After breakfast we 'interviewed' our host 
in regard to getting over the mountain, 
&c. He volunteered to go with us to a 
brother-in-law of his, some twenty miles 
distant on New River, which place we 
made about S o'clock p. m. Here we were 
introduced to Mr. S^ — and his family, 
which consisted of his wife and several 
daughters. They prepared supper for us, 
after which we adjourned to the barn and 
laid down to sleep. 

"March 11th. We were awakened 
about daybreak by our friend, who inform- 
ed us that 'guards' had been seen on the 
opposite side of the river. Upon receiving 
this news we did not deem it prudent to 
wait for breakfast, but started at once for 
the river. When over this stream we 

found another friend, a Mr. W , who 

gave us breakfast and directed us to some 
high bluffs on the river, where we could pass 
the day in safety. In the evening he 
came to us and conducted us to the top of 
'Snake Mountain'— a local name for one 
of the ranges which divide North Caroli- 
na and Tennepspo. Arriving at the [op of 



this mountain, he gave us directions ' 
where to find friends on the other side and 
then bade us farewell and turned home- 
ward. We were now on our march down- 
ward on a good mountain road into Ten- 
nessee, and at about 2 o'clock Sunday 
morning arrived at the place to which we 
had been directed, A knock at the door 
brought out an old gentleman, who asked 
us who we were ? We told him who we 
were, and that a friend on the other side 
of the mountain had directed us to him, 
and that we desired to get to a place of 
safety to spend the day. He at once said 
he would conduct us to such a place, and 
would get ready at once to go with us. 
At this point a woman in another part of 
the house who had overheard our conver- 
sation, came forward with an emphat- 
ic 'No, you shall not go, but /will.' Men 
caught in secreting, aiding, or conducting 
escaped prisoners, by the rebels were 
hanged. This woman was the wife of the 
old gentleman — Mr. M. — and she did not 
wish to have her husband exposed to this 
danger. She got herself in readiness and 
we started — the old lady— ( Jod bless her — 
acting as our guide. She led us up hill, 
and down hill, and through ravines until 
about the break of day, when she arrived 
at the place intended, when she turned 
back and left us, we going to some friends 
to whom we were directed. Whilst trav- 
elling along with this woman, I remarked 
to her, 'It is rather hard that you should 
get up at this timeof night, and undertake 
to do for us what you are doing.' To this 
she replied, 'This is nothing. I have been 
out on business of this kind before when 
the safety of the 'Boys' required it.' The 
Boys referred to were termed 'Bush Boys' 
— persons who had been conscripted, but 
deserted and returned home. These were 
living amongst the hills, mountains, and 
in caves. We sometimes spent nights in 
their camps and hiding places. It was 
not long after our arrival at this place, 
until quite a number of friendly persons 
were with us, of whom some were ladies, 
and some of them fine looking young 
ones. We spent the day with them very 
jileas-antly, and at night slept in a Bush 
Boys' cave, with a loaded musket by each 
one's side. 

"Monday morning, March 13th. Start- 
ed early and went about two miles before 
breakfast. During this day we forded Elk 
River, crossed Flint Mountain, and reach- 
ed Crab Orchard, Tennessee. Here we 
were informed by a friend that it was re- 
ported that a body of rebels were march- 
ing on that place. Whilst consulting as 
to what we should do, and where we 
should go, a lady came to the house we 
were in, and told us that she lived on the 
mountain side, about a mile and a-half 



Reminiscences of the War. 



159 



from the place we were. She further said 
that she had an unoccupied house on the 
top of the mountain, and that no rebels 
had ever been seen there, and that we 
were welcome to occupy it, and would be 
perfectly safe there. By this time it began 
to rain and we concluded to find her house, 
which we reached before dark. We gath- 
ered a lot of wood, made a fire, and laid 
down to sleep. 

"March 15th. This day we remained 
indoors; some of the party went down 
the mountain to see what could be had to 
replenish our commissary. On their re- 
turn they reported that they had bought 
bacon and flour; some of the latter they had 
left to have baked into bread. On the 
way up they had 'borrowed' a skillet, and 
I at once, in the absence of our friend 
McGrath, turned my attention to the cu- 
linary department for that day. It was 
nothing, however, but to fry, bake, and 
eat, and eat, bake, and fry, all day long. 
When night came I was glad to lie down 
to rest. We lived that day, as the saying 
is, 'on the top of the pile,' as well as upon 
the top of the mountain. 

"March Kith. Brown and I went down 
llie mountain this morning for the bread 
that had been baked for us, Tleports still 
said that the Rebels were coming. We 
got our bread and returned — had a jolly 
good time that day. 

"March 17th. 8t. Patrick's day in the 
morning. Brown and I again trudged 
down the mountain for more bread. Our 
capacity for fried bacon and fresh bread 
was truly remarkable. The report this 
morning was that no rebels were about. 
Whilst down in the valley we met two 
Vaiikee officers, named respectively Sam- 
uel B. Piper, Adjutent lid Ohio llegimeut 
— now postmaster at Barnesville, Ohio, 
and Lieutenant George W. Bailey, Co. A. 
od Ohio, now editor and publisher of the 
Hamilton county Neivs, Aurora, Nebras- 
ka. They had escaped from Charolotte, 
North Carolina. We gave them an invi- 
tation to go with us to our mountain home, 
which they readily accepted, and together 
we trudged up the hill. As our family had 
increased more rations were needed, and 
Dr. Kaufman and Galbraith started on a 
foraging expedition. At this place we also 
met the scout previously referred to, and 
we arranged with him to conduct us to 
Knoxville, Tennesee, which was at that 
time in possession of the Union forces. It 
was arranged that we were to start on our 
journey on the following morning, and 
after completing some arrangements, he 
left to visit some friends and expecting to 
remain away over night. The next morn- 
ing, March 18th, when he returned to our 
camp, he informed us that there was to be 
a "Log Rolling" on the farm belonging to 



the woman whose house we occupied, and 
suggested that as she had been kind to' us, 
we ought to stay and assist. Postponing 
therefore our departure until the following 
morning, we readily consented to his pro- 
position. Up to that time we were in ig- 
norance of what a log rolling was, but we 
found it out that day. In that region of 
country when a farmer wishes to break up 
a piece of timber land for agricultural pur- 
poses, he does not do it as we do in Penn- 
sylvania — that is, go to work and cut off' 
the timber, but girdles each tree with an 
axe, and as a consequence they soon die. 
The ground is then ploughed and cultiva- 
ted and in the course of time the storms 
break down these trees, when they cut 
them into pieces that can be handled. — 
These are rolled together in piles and set 
fire to and burned up. It was at a party 
of this kind that we attended that day, 
and with some eighteen or twenty neigh- 
bors, who had gathered together, we had 
a jolly good time, although the work was 
hard. 

"Whilst in conversation with our scout 
that day, I remarked to him that I had 
spent a night close by the place where his 
wife was staying, and that I thought of 
calling to see her. He gave me a signifi- 
cant look, but said nothing. In conver- 
sing with another person, I mentioned this 
to him and said that I thought it very 
strange conduct, when he replied : "I can 
enlighten you in regard to that: AVheu 
the war began this man and his wife took 
opposite sides, she telling him that a man 
that would not fight for his country did 
not deserve a country." The consciiuence 
was, he did enter upon the services of his 
country — the country whose flag was the 
glorious stars and stripes, and his wife 
remained at home sympathizing with the 
stars and bars. He further informed me 
that the;night we spent with aunt Lucinda 

D , the soothsayer or fortune teller, this 

woman was at her father's who was a near 
neighbor of aunt Lucinda's. Here then, as 
I then thought and have ever since believ- 
ed, was aunt Lucinda's "dark haired wo- 
man." I think, too that this woman knew 
of our being there, and managed to have 
our friends — innocently to them — send us 
on the hunt of 'Bogges.' 

"March l!)th. "BreaK camp fall in, and 
forward march," was the order this morn- 
ing, and down the mountain, and into the 
valley, and onward we went. During our 
halt of the last few days, our squad had 
been inc,easing and we now numbered 
twenty three, all escaped prisoners from 
various places. In the evening we found 
an empty house, which we too possession 
of and spent the night there. 

"March liOth. We sent some of our par- 
ty out after rations for our breakfast, after 



i6o 



Reminiscences of the War. 



which we resumed our march. In the 
evening we reached a place called "Greasy 
Cave" in Washington County, Tennesee. 
Here we had supper and spent the night. 
Our squad was too large to be accomodated 
at one place, consequently we divided and 
went to different places. Our original 
party of four, however, never separated 
and we always remained together. This 
night we were assigned to a family named 

P , and when the time for retiring 

came one of the family having a pine torch 
made his appearance and said that he was 
ready to conduct us to our sleeping quar- 
ters. He led, we following and crossing a 
small stream in front of the house ; he 
struck a by path through the bushes and 
began to ascend a hill, and in a very short 
time stopped at the entrance to a cave on 
the hill side. When we reached this place 
our guide said 'Here is where you are to 
sleep, add I think you will be safe.' Leav- 
ing us the torch he bade us good night and 
left. After going into the cave some 
distance we found straw, indicating that 
others had occupied these quarters before. 
Before we laid down, Brown and I deter- 
mined to do a little exploring, and taking 
the torch we started and had gone but a 
short distance when we discovered several 
avenues branching off from the main one. 
We entered one of these and had not pro- 
ceeded far until we noticed still others 
branching off from this one, when we con- 
cluded that we were at a dangerous busi- 
ness and had better retrace our steps. After 
returning a short distance back, we came 
to a point where we disagreed as to which 
was the right way and after some parley- 
ing I yielded to Brown, and it was well I 
did for it proved to be the the right way 
and soon we were at our starting point. 
Had we taken the other avenue, there is no 
doubt but what we would have been lost and 
our bones might now be bleaching in that 
cave. The next mornining when we came 
out of the cave, we found tliat we were but 
a little distance from the house, but con- 
siderably elevated above it. We told our 
friends of our adventure in the cave, and 
they said it was well we returned when we 
did for the cave led to no one knew where 
and no person had ever succeeded in find- 
ing its end. 

"March 21st. Before starting this day we 
had to provide rations, and the baking of 
bread detained us until about ten o'clock. 
It rained some during the day, and toward 
evening we crossed Chuckee river in a 
canoe and encamped on Indian creek. 

"March 22d. We broke camp at S o'clock 
and soon reached 'Boss Mountain,' and 
the last one we crossed on foot. It is one 
of the Allegheny range and by the na- 
tives it is called the 'Big Butt.' We be- 
gan the ascent of this mountain about 9 



o'clock and after climbing long enough to 
reach the top as we supposed, we ascer- 
tained it proved to be a plateau of per- 
haps two or three hundred feet, and then 
another ascent. This was succeeded by still 
another plateau and a rise and these by 
another until the top was reached. From 
this summit we had a view of magnificent 
grandeur. The whole valley lay spread 
out before us for miles upon miles. The 
Cumberland Mountains were visible in 
tho distance, and directly below and para- 
lell witli the one we were on were other 
ranges which appeared to us as though we 
could Ltivfc uropped stones down upon their 
tops. It was indeed a reward for the toil 
we had endured in scaling these heights. 
Penmar and High Rock seem bat pigmies 
when compared with them. We reached 
the foot of the the mountain in the even- 
ing, having spent almost the entire day in 
crossing. That night we encamped in an 
old house. 

"March 23d. We were now out of the 
mountains, and concluded to spend that 
day in camp and rest. 

March 24th. After marching about five 
miles on the morning of this day, we were 
informed that 'the rebels were coming.' 
Upon receiving this unwelcome news we 
concluded to halt and lay by for the day. 
In the evening some friends brought us 
rations, and at this point our scout left us. 

"March 25th. We lay in camp during: 
the day, expecting to resume our march 
in the evening, but during the afternoon 
we were informed that the rebels were 
within ten miles of the place we were at. 
Hearing this we separated into squads and 
went to different places to spend the night. 
The squad I was with consisting of Dr. 
Kaufman, Brown, Galbraith, Adjutant 
Piper, Lieut. Builey and myself, remained 
together. During the evening a man — a 
relative of the family with whom we were 
staying — came there from Greenville, ten 
miles distant (the home of President An- 
drew Johnson,) and informed us that the 
Yankees were in possession of the place. 
This information made us feel pretty good, 
and Adjutant Piper, who had became im- 
patient because we had not gotten through 
the rebel lines, declared that on the follow- 
ing morning he was going to Greenville, 
if no one else would go. But he did not 
succeed in carrying out his purpose as soon 
and easily as he expected. 

"Sunday, March 26th. During the last 
two days we had been within but a few 
miles of the expiration of the rebel lines, 
and had done but little less than advance 
and then fall back, making but little, if 
any advancement. Knowing that we were 
so near the lines of our friends, we could 
scarcely restrain ourselves, and act as cau- 
tiously as the circumstances demanded. 



Re7nmisceiices of the War. 



i6i 



This morning we all gatliered together, 
after our night of separation, and started 
for Greenville, every one of us as deter- 
mined to go through as was Piper the 
night before. Between us and Greenville 
there was a road and a river which we had 
to cross. On this road was our greatest 
danger, for rebel cavalry were patrolling 
it, and we were in constant danger, and 
that was the reason we did not get to 
Greenville that morning as we so confi- 
dently expected. In company with some 
friends we started, and after proceeding 
two or three miles, we were informed that 
rebels had been seen but a short time be- 
fore on the road , at the precise poin t we were 
to cross. We at once fell backward again 
pretty quickly— Pij)er retreating with us. 
Towards evening, with a friend to pilot us 
we again started, and succeeded in cross- 
ing the road, and at once hurried on to 
Nolchucky river. We had not proceeded 
far after crossing this road until we were 
invited to stop for supper, which invita- 
tion, with our thanks, we declined. No 
supper for us now, hungry though we 
were, until we had once more seen our 
dear old flag and the friends who defended 
it. Reaching the river, we were put over 
by some friends in a 'Dug Out,' they giv- 
ing us directions to travel by. Bidding 
them farewell, we moved rapidly on and 
about 8 o'clock we struck the Union lines 
and were challenged by Federal pickets. 
As our squad had by that time increased 
to twenty-six, it was not considered safe 
for us all to advance at once upon the 
picket line, and we thereupon halted some 
distance before we reached it and sent two 
or three forward to report our presence. 
In a short time they returned, saying that 
it was all right, when we all advanced and 
crossed the line and found ourselves in the 
camp of the 4th Tennessee Infantry, and 
without much ceremony distributed our- 
selves amongst the different companies for 
something to cat and a place to spend the 
night. These we had no dilliculty in ob- 
taining, and we lay down that night un- 
der the sweet consciousness that we were 
once more under the protection of our 
dear, glorious old flag, and that in a short 
time we would return to our homes and to 
our friends from whom we had been so 
long separated. 

"Monday, March 27th. This morning wo 
reported to the Colonel commanding the 
regiment, and after telling him who we 
we were, wliere we came from, and where 
we wished to go, he informed us that a de- 
tail would leave for ICnoxvillo in the af- 
ternoon with a number of prisoners, and 
that we could fall in with them and jtro- 
ceed to that place. When the guard came 
around to take charge of the prisoners, we 
recognized among them Mr. Edward Fer- 



ry, a fellow-townsman ; and when every- 
thing was in readiness to start, andtheor- 
der to "forward march" was given, we 
moved along with them. The guards 
were mounted and formed a hollow square, 
with the prisoners in the inside and we 
along with them. We were allowed to go 
as we pleased, either before or beliind as 
suited us best. After proceeding along un- 
til towards evening, we met the advance 
of the army of General George H. Thom- 
as, which was moving towards Virginia, 
After passing a number of regiments, we 
saw a battery about going into camp a 
short distance from the road, and stopping 
to take a look at it, discovered to our great 
pleasure that it was battery B, formerly 
commanded by the lamented Captain Sam- 
uel McDowell, of this place, and composed 
largely of men from C'hambersburg. I 
cannot now recall the name of the Cap- 
tain who then commanded it, but the 
Lieutenants were Camp and Shatzer. The 
only privates I can remember were Jesse 
llichter and Frank Yeager. The boys 
were astonished at seeing us, and glad to 
meet us, and we were no less surprised and 
gratified to meet them. Tliey gave 
us an invitation to spend the night 
with them, which we gratefully ac- 
cepted. After going into camp with 
these men, and the troops yet passing 
along, we went to the road side to look 
at them, when by and by along came 
the 77th Pennsylvania regiment, which 
had been partly recruited at this place, and 
had been commanded successively by our 
former fellow-townsmen, Colonels Stum- 
baugh and Housum, the former distin- 
guishing himself at Pittsburg Landing, in 
which his regiment took an active part, 
and the latter falling at 8tone River. The 
name of the (Jolonel commanding the reg- 
iment at the time I saw it, I do not now 
remember, and it was composed of but a 
handful of battle-scarred veterans, the only 
one of whom I recognized being Sergeant 
William Faker, of this place, and known 
to many of our older citizens. 

"March llsth. This morning Lieutenant 
Camp rode with Dr. Kaufman to General 
Stanley's headquarters, and after stating 
our case the (Jeneral gave the necessary 
))assesand orders for transportation. At 
this place our party separated. Dr. Kauf- 
man, .J, Porter Brown and myself pursu- 
ing our way horn ward together, and with 
but one exception— Galbraith — who, some- 
time during the summer after our return, 
paid us a visit, we have not met since, 

"After partaking of a substantial dinner 
with tlie oflicers of the battery, and hav- 
ing our haversacks filled, we badeour kind 
friends adieu and started for Bull's (Jap, 
six miles distant, from which place trains 
were running to Knoxville. When we 



l62 



Reminiscences of the War. 



reached the Gap, a train was about to start 
and finding an empty box car we took pos- 
session of it and, night coming on, we 
spread our blankets and laid down and 
slept. 

"March liOth. When we awoke in the 
morning our train was standing still near 
a town, and upon inquiring were told that 
it was Knoxville. ' After breakfasting 
from our haversacks we got out to take a 
look around and asf^ertain when our train 
would go on. The conductor, engineer 
and fireman had gone off, and we could 
find no one that could give us any infor- 
mation. Whilst waiting for the return of 
these men, and the starting of our train, 
we learned that a train, with a passenger 
coach attached, wasabouttostartfor Chat- 
tanooga, and as the place of its standing 
was some distance from us, we did not suc- 
ceed in reaching it in time to get aboard. 
The only thing we could do then was to 
wait. By and by our engineer returned, 
and finding that the fire in the engine had 
gone out, he started on the hunt for the 
fireman, but by the time he was found 
and the fire started up, the engineer was 
missing and some one went to look him 
up. At length all were found and at their 
posts, and when the familiar and welcome 
'All aboard' was called, we pulled out. 
Towards evening our train came to a halt 
—some one said, I think, near Sweet Wa- 
ter river— and upon getting out to ascertain 
the cause, we were informed that there 
had been a wreck on the opposite side of 
the river, and that several trains ahead of 
us had been delayed— a part of some of 
them standing on the bridge spanning the 
river. We climbed up to the top of the 
car, and passing from one to the other and 
over the bridge to the wreck, we found 
that the track was being cleared as rapid- 
ly as possible. The engine was lying with 
its wheels up, in a gully, and it required no 
immediate attention. When waiting and 
walking about among the trains, we dis- 
covered the one which had passed out in 
the morning in advanceof theone we were 
on. Hunting up the conductor, we asked 
him if we might get into bis train? He 
inquired where we had been riding, and 
after telling him, he said "Well, why 
can't you ride there again V" We told 
him that we were tired of riding in house 
cars. He then inquired who we were and 
where we were going ? In replying to his 
inquiries, we showed him the papers giv- 
en us by General Stanley, and alter care- 
fully looking at them a change occurred 
in his manner, and he said, *Ah ! I see 
that you are escaped prisoners. Gentlemen , 
there is my car, step in and make your- 
selves comfortable.' This man was a lieu- 
tenant and military conductor, but strange 
to say, neither of us thought of asking his 



name, which we greatly regretted. Upon 
entering the car we found it pretty well 
filled with both ladies and gentlemen ; and 
in a short time our newly made friend 
came in, and coming to where we sat, he 
said, 'Well, boys, 1 suppose you have not 
had too iimch to eat V VVe replied, 'Hard- 
ly ever,' when he went out and in a short 
time returned with a good sized parciel 
done up in paper, which he handed us, 
saying, 'Boys, that's the best I can do for 
you here.' Upon opening the package we 
found that it contained crackers and 
cheese. Whilst the train stood there par- 
ties in our car began to pay their respects 
to certain lunch baskets, and when in a 
short time it began to be known through- 
out the car that we were escaped prisoners 
from Southern prisons, both ladies and 
gentlemen pressed us with invitations to 
partake with them. Ina very short time we 
were well supplied with cold chicken, 
sandwiches, cake, «&c., luxuries we had 
been strangers to for the past year and nine 
months. 

"At length the track was cleared and the 
train started for Chattanooga and we ar- 
rived there about 2 o'clock, A. M. We 
stopped at the Soldier's Home and after 
breakfast repaired to headquarters for a 
pass that we might go around sight-seeing 
without being molested by patrols. Whilst 
strolling around the city, we had the 
pleasure of meeting Mr. A. F. Smith, now 
Chief of Police of this place, and his 
brother Dr. John. Adam was in charge 
of Government iron works, and I don't 
know which was the gladder party — the 
Smiths or us. After congratulations, Adam 
said, 'Boys, how are you off for funds r" 
We told him we were just about out, hav- 
ing spent our last cent shortly before 
reaching the Federal lines. Taking out 
his pocket-book, he handed each one of us 
a five dollar bill, at the same time saying 
that he was sorry that it was not more — 
that he had not received pay for sometime 
and was a little short. He then told us of 
several other Chambersburgers that were 
in Chattanooga, and proposed to conduct 
us around to see them. Arriving at the 
place we met Henry Bowers, now an engi- 
neer on the Mont Alto railroad, and one of 
the Cline boys— Frank, I think. They 
told us of several others who were there, 
but at that cime were away on duty. Bow- 
ers and William Murray were running en- 
gines at Chattanooga — Murray at the 
time was home on a furlough. When meal 
time came we took bean soup with Henry 
— pure bean soup without the usual ac- 
companyment of hugs to which we had 
been accustomed in our prison life. At 
1:30 P. M. we left Chattanooga for Nash- 
ville. We occupied a box car, the seats of 
which extended acrosss the entire car, and 



Reminiscences of the War. 



163 



about dark a number of soldiers were ta- 
ken aboard as a train guard for the night. 
1 had a seat entirely to myself, and wrap- 
ping my blanket around me, lay down to 
sleep. About U o'clock in the morning I 
was awakened by a thumping and bump- 
ing, and before I could rightly take in the 
situation, I was sprawling on the floor of 
the car. Instantly all was confusion and 
the guards were ordered to the front. It 
Avas supposed that the rebels had purpose- 
ly throAvn the train from the truck, as one 
had been wrecked by them in that same 
locality but a short time previously. We 
got out of the car and found the engine and 
three cars ofFthe track, but no rebels about. 
We were detained until about 11 o'clock, 
when the track being cleared we proceeded 
upon our journey and arrived at Nash- 
ville at 2 P.M. The next morning we 
went to headquarters to see about having 
our passes for transportation renewed, but 
Avere informed that nothing could be 
done for us. We now for the first 
time Avere brought to face the incon- 
venience of being far from home in a 
strange place without money. As already 
stated we had spent our last cent just 
before entering the Union lines. Our 
guide, who had engaged to conduct us to 
Knoxville, when he found that we were 
within ten miles of the lines at Greenville, 
said that we could then do without his 
further services, and if we would pay him 
the sum stipulated for he would return. 
The amount we paid him was, I think, 
seventy dollars, which entirely cleaned us 
out. But as long as we travelled on mili- 
tary roads— roads controlled by the military 
authorities — we managed to gel along, and 
Adam Hmith's five dollars did not go very 
far towards bringing us from Chattanooga 
to Chambersburg. We accordingly tele- 
graphed for remittances to be sent us at 
Cincinnati, and then started out on the 
hunt for the Christian Commission, hop- 
ing that it might do something in the way 
of assisting us on our way. At length we 
found it, and communicated our story to 
the person in charge, a kind hearted, 
fatherly old gentleman, whose name has 
ei'Caiied my memory. I told him that 
when at home in Chambersburg 1 had 
done considerable work for the ladies 
of the Commission in the way of as- 
sisting in making, packing and nailing 
boxes. After listening to my statement 
he said, 'That being the case, the Com- 
mission won't go back on you now. I 
will arrange to send you to Louisville, 
Kentucky, and will give you a letter of in- 
troduction to Dr. Newberry, of that place, 
who is also a member of the Commission.' 
lu the afternoon, sent on our way by this 
noble Commission, which did so much 
for our brave soldiers during the war, as 



well as for unfortunate persons like our- 
selves when far away from home without 
money, we left for Louisville, and arrived 
there about 4 o'clock on Sunday morning. 
After breakfasting at the Soldiers' Home, 
we started out to look for Dr. Newberry, and 
finding him at his place handed him our 
letter of introduction. He was a pleasant 
old gentleman, and ready and willing to 
assist us. He told us that a boat was to 
leave at VI o'clock for Cincinnati, and 
gave us enough money to pay for first- 
class passage to that place. On our way 
to the landing Dr. Kaufman said, 'Boys, 
we now have money enough to pay our 
Ijassage, but nothing for 'grub'; let us go 
aboard and bargain for cheap fare and 
spend what is left for something to eat.' 
To this proposal we readily agreed, and 
went aboard, and bargained accordingly, 
after which the doctor started out forag- 
ing and after some time returned with a 
good supply. What cared we for first- 
class cabin passage now that we had plenty 
to eat y The boat left on time, and the 
afternoon being very fine, and we on our 
way home, we had a delightful trip. 
When night came on we got behind the 
smoke stack, wrapped ourselves in our 
blankets and laid down and slept soundly, 
and arrived at Cincinnati shortly before 
daylight on Monday morning. We in- 
tended to remain here until our remittan- 
ces would come, but being again without 
money and knowing not where to find 
lodging and food, we concluded once again 
to apply to the Christian Commission. 
Going to its place, we stated our case, 
when we were taken to the 'Kefugee's 
Home' on Longworth street. The Super- 
intendent's canl reads thus : 

L. V. LOUKEK, 

SupH. of Bejugees^ 
52 Longworth St. 

This place, as its name indicates, was a 
home for Southern refugees. There we 
remained until the following Wednesday 
morning, when we left to seek more con- 
genial quarters, as the place was not to 
our liking. The Superintendent was a 
first-rate old gentleman, but our objections 
were on account of some of the inmates 
and other matters connected with the in- 
stitution. Early this morning we left the 
place and started out to look for some oth- 
er place to stay at until we could hear 
from home, and in passing along the 
street I espied a hotel with the following 
sign over the door— 'Pennsylvania House' 
—at which I said, 'Boys, that must be our 
house.' We at once went in and inquired 
for the proprietor, to whom we related 
our situation, informing him that we were 
expecting a remittance from home and 
wished to stop with him until it came. 



164 



Reminiscences of the War. 



Whether out of pity lor us, oi- ssteiiij^ hon- 
esty beamiug from our features, lie at once 
took us in and ordered breakfast for us. 
We spent the balance of that day in stroll- 
ing around the city sight seeing, and fur- 
nishing sights for others, for we were cer- 
tainly an interesting looking trio— rags 
and tatters, and—, well 1 was about to say 
something else but had better not. I 
shall not enter into any description of our 
outfit, for Dr. Kauflmau is somewhat fas- 
tidious, and r would not like to place him 
upon record liere in an unfavorable hght. 
The news of the fall of Richmond was re- 
ceived that day, and 1 think the excite- 
ment of the people of Cincinnati that night 
was never surpassed excepting perhaps 
during the recent riots there. Wherever 
you would go, and from every person you 
met, men, women and children, the cry 
was, 'Richmond's gone up!' 'Richmond's 
gone up I !' Bands ofmusic were parading 
the streets and speeches were being made. 
"Every day we remained in Cincinnati 
we went to the oliice of the Express Com- 
pany expecting to hear from home, and on 
Thursday morning after breakfast, as 
usual. Dr. Kaufman and myself started for 
that place. As we passed into the ofliice a 
man was standing in the doorway, but 
looking up the street in an opposite direc- 
tion from the way we came and conse- 
quently did not see us. When in the 
ofltice Dr. Kaufman said, 'That is (Jeorge 
Balsley, of Chambersburg.' I replied, 
'Yes, 1 think it is ;' but neither of us real- 
ly supposed it was him although the re- 
semblance was striking. I'assing on 
down to the proper desk and making our 
usual inquiry— 'Anything for us this 
morning ';"—we received the usual reply, 
'No;' at the same time glancing toward 
the door, he said, 'Wait a moment,' and 
walked forward. In a short time he re- 
turned with the gentleman we had seen 
upon passing in, and sure enough, to our 
great joy, he proved to be Mr. Balsley, a 
brother-in-law of J. Porter Brown. He 
had been sent here by our friends to see 
after us, and upon seeing him the ther- 
mometer of our feelings hidieated at least 
summer heat. The tirst thing done was 
to visit the clothiers, then a bath and 
next the barber. After we had under- 
gone the process of ablution, and 
put on our new garments, we could 
scarcely recognize each other; and 
when we went back to the Pennsylva- 
nia House, our host did not recognize us, 
but when he at length did, we all took a 
good laugh together. Paying our bills 
and thanking him for his kindness, we 
went to the Burnett House, where Mr. 
Balsley was stopping. At the table we 
met some gentlemen who recognized us 
as the party that had attracted so much 



attention in strolling arouuil tbe city in 
our Salisbury garb, and we had considera- 
ble Joking over it. 

"At U) o'clock on Thursday night, we 
left Cincinnati for home. We arrived at 
Pittsburg in the afternoon of Friday, and 
making close connection with the train 
east, left at once, stopping at Latrobe for 
supper. Whilst there Mr. Balsley said, 
'I promised to telegraph home as soon as 
! found you, and have forgotten it until 
now.' Hurrying into the oilice he sent a 
despatch which was received in Cham- 
bersburg about two hours in advance of 
us. We arrived at Harrisburg about V> a. 
m., and took the S o'clock train for 
home. In all my wanderings I had 
never become impatient to get on, but 
could take things as I found them, and 
make the best out of them I could, but 
after taking my seat in the familiar Cum- 
berland Valley train, it did seem to get 
along rather too slowly. At II o'clock the 
train came in to where the depot stood 
when we left (tbe town had been burned 
during our absence) where we were met 
by an immense crowd to welcome us 
home, and with the crowd was the old 
Chambersburg Band, of which I had been 
a member from its organization in 1851. 
After some considerable hand shaking we 
started up town, the Bandplayinga quick 
step entitled '■ Eiker''s Eeturn,'' which had 
been composed specially for the occasion 
by the late Professor F. J . Keller, at that 
time leader of the Band. They marched 
up Second street to Brown's Hotel, on the 
northwest corner of (Second and (^ueen 
streets, where Brown once more entered 
his home ; but as there was a little woman 
whom I had called 'wife' but six montbs 
before I had left, and who, I knew, was 
watching and waiting for me at the corner 
of Market and Franklin streets, I did not 
stop but proceeded quickly there. And 
now just here I want to say that if any of 
my friends would like to know tbe why 
and how I got into all this trouble I have 
been telling of, if they will call at No. 118 
East Washington street, I think she will 
explain it all — I've heard her do so many 
times, and she always makes it clear as — 
well, I was about to say, clear as mud. 
Be sure, however, that I am at home 
when you call, for it seems that she 
always enjoys a little secret satisfaction 
when I am present 'in giving me away,' 
as we used to say in prison parlance. But, 
I suppose I deserve it, for it was mean in 
me to go over to Hagerstown with the boys 
to see the elephant, leaving her alone. 
But, I resume. In company with my 
brothers-in-law. Dr. J. S. and B. L. 
Maurer, we wended our way from Brown's 
hotel down Queen street to Main, thence 
t o Market, and out to Franklin. Passing 



Reminiscences of the War. 



165 



throiigli tlio burnt district, witli tlie ruins 
nil iibout 1110, u feeliut; of siulncss ctuuc 
(>ver me, but meeting tlie little woman 
who was waiting for me, 1 soon regained 
my cheerfulness. We were captured in 
Hagerstovvn on Tuesday, July 7th, lS(i;;, 
and after a prolonged tour through the 
Houth, returned to Chambersburg on Sat- 
urday, April 8th, IS(i5, having been absent 
one year, nine months and two days. 

Dr. Kaufman, J. I'orter Brown and 
myself were the last of our party to return 
to Chambersl)urg. Dr. Hamilton and J. 
r. C'uibertson came home in August, ISIU; 
A. V. McGrath, T. H. McDowell, Charles 
Kinsler and (ieorge Heck were taken 
from Salisbury to Ilichmond a few daj^s 
after we left, and from thence were sent to 
Washington, reaching home several 
weeks before we did. They were all ex- 
changed, and their way home was not at- 
tended with the privations and hardships 
we endured, .but I had an experience 
which they had not, and it proved of 
great benetit to me. Previous to leaving 
Salisbury I became much reduced by a 
severe attack of that terrible scourge 
amongst the prisoners, diarrhoea, and when 
the proposition to escape was made I hesi- 
tated, fearing I was unable to endure the 
fatigue of the journey, but after a little 
encouragement from Dr. Kaufman con- 
sented to go, and after being out a few 
days I hegan to improve, and by the time 
we reached home my weight had increased 
from one hundred and twenty pounds to 
one hundred and forty-two, and I felt as 
though I could walk with any one and 
beat him every time. It was out door 
living, pure mountain air, and, sometimes, 
good corn bread and bacon that did it. 
And now if any of my readers are troubled 
with dyspepsia, and desire an effectual 
remedy, and have the money to foot the 
bills, I might find the time to join them 
in a trip over the same route, in the same 
way, and feel safe in guaranteeing a cure. 
'No cure, no pay.' 

"I feel that before closing these i-ecollec- 
tions, that there is one other person who 
shared our prison life, that should be men- 
tioned, for although not of our party, he 
is well known to many of our citizens. I 
refer to Mike Latus, who, a few years ago, 
conducted a bakery here, but at present 



resides in Heading. At the time of Mil- 
roy's rout at Winchester, INfr. I^atus was 
captured, and when taken to l/ibby }>rison 
he had about six hundred dollarsin( Green- 
backs, which he managed to conceal from 
the rebels. Mike is one of the largest 
hearted men 1 ever knew, and while his 
money lasted he spent it freely for the 
benefit of others less fortunate than him- 
self. After spending some time in Libby 
he was sent to Salisbury, and on the first 
Christmas we spent there he conceived 
the idea of giving us a (Christmas treat. 
Buying such articles as could be obtained, 
he set about baking cakes, and on Christ- 
mas morning, with a piece of board for a 
tray, he went around among the prisoners 
dispensing his good things. That treat, at 
the prices he was obliged to pay, cost him, 
I have no doubt, several hundred dollars 
in Confederate scrip, into whicli he ex- 
changed his greenbacks. He made his 
escape from Salisbury in December, 
1SG4, and succeeded after a long 
and toilsome march, and after endur- 
ing great hardships, in entering the 
Union lines in Western Virginia. Mr. 
Latus visited Chambersburg in 18()5 — the 
year succeeding his escape — and being 
much pleased with what was left of the 
town after its destruction by the rebels, he 
determined to return in the fall of that 
year, which he accordingly did and carried 
on liis business as a baker. 

"When we left home on Monday, July 
(ith, 1863, it was our purpose to go to 
Gettysburg by way of Waynesboro', but 
owing to circumstances which we could 
not control, our route was by Richmond, 
Salisbury, Knoxville, Cincinnati and 
Pittsburg. And after a lapse of two years, 
less two days, and several thousand miles 
of travel through seven different States, 
both in and out of the Union, we succeed- 
ed in reaching our destination, and was 
present at the laying of the corner stone 
of the monument in the Soldiers' Nation- 
al Cemetery at Gettysburg on July 4th, 
18H5. Our object in going was to see the 
'•elephant^'' and we did see it, and a real 
Jumbo it proved to be before we got done 
seeing it. And now 'Taps,' 'Lights out,' 
and 'good night,' I subscribe myself, 

D. M. ElKER." 

Chambersburg, Aug. 18th, 1884. 



1 66 



Reminiscences of the War. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



AXGEI.S OF MkRC V JN TIIK HOSPITALS. 



Reference has been made in previous 
chapters of these reminiscences, to the 
work done by the ladies of Chambersburg 
and other parts of Franklin county, in the 
hospitals established here during the war, 
as well aa for sick and wounded soldiers 
elsewhere ; and desiring to place upon 
permanent record these transactions as far 
as they can be recollected by the surviv- 
ors, and gathered from sucli papers as es- 
caped the conflagration of our town, I 
have secured the services of Mrs. J. S. 
Nixon to prepare that account. Mrs. Nix- 
on was a prominent actor in the work she 
records, and being conversant with the de- 
tails thereof, as well as in possession of 
some important papers relating thereto, 
she is perfectly competent to perform the 
task assigned her. Many of the actors in 
the events she relates have passed away, 
but the facts are ot public interest and 
worthy of perpetual remembrance. Her 
account is as follows : 

Tlie interesting articles, gleaned from 
the thrilling events of the late war by Mr. 
Hoke induced me to look over almost for- 
gotten papers in my possession. I copy 
from the Secretaries book. In accordance 
with notice given in the churches on the 
previous Sabbath, the ladies of Chambers- 
burg met in the United Presbyterian 
church on Monday, July 14th, 1862, at 4 
P. M. The meeting was organized by the 
election of Mrs. Dr. Schneck, President ; 
Miss tSusan B. Chambers, Treasurer ; Mrs. 
J. Sharpe Nixon, Secretary. Managers: 
Mrs. S. M. Armstrong, Mrs. Nead, Mrs. 
J. Shryock, Mrs. Burnett, Mrs. Glosser, 
Mrs. Hershberger, Miss Sarah Wright, 
Mrs. Blood, Mrs. Jacob Hoke, Mrs. J. 
Armstrong, Mrs. John Culbertson, Mrs. 
Harry Stoner, Miss M. Heyser. 

Mr. Nixon was present and offered the 
churcli as a regular place of meeting, and 
it was arranged that meetings would be 
held every Wednesday and Friday morn- 
ing at. S o'clock. Met again on Wednes- 
day, A. M., and committees were sent out 
to purchase goods, when articles were giv- 
en to the following persons. I think the 
list should be on the "roll of honor:" 
Mrs. B. Pearly, Miss Sarah Early, Mrs. S. 
E. Huber, Mrs.Gettys, Miss Helen Reid, 
Ellie Lambert, Emma Smith, Mrs. Jo- 
seph Chambers, Mrs. Senseny, Mrs. J. 
Kennedy, Mrs. Cree, M. A. Armstrong, 
Alice McCulloh, M. McCulloh, Mrs. 



M. J. Nixon, Mrs. Schneck, Mrs. Dr. 
Fisher, Mrs. Gilmore, Mrs. H. M. White, 
Mrs. Ritner, Mary Hull, Mrs. Dr. Lane, 
Mrs. Wallace, Mrs. Dcobler, Sallie Brown, 
Lizzie McLanahan, Mrs. John Reed, 
Mrs. Welsh, Lou. Bard, Mrs. Davis, Miss 
Heck, Mrs. Nelson, Louisa Smith, Mrs. 
E. D, Reid, Miss S. A. Chambers, Miss S. 
B. Chambers, Miss Kimmell, Mrs. Shilli- 
to, Mrs. Reasner, Mrs. Melhorn, Enama 
Stuart, Josephine Kochenour, Miss Nancy 
McCulloh, Miss Prudv McCulloh, Miss 
Nesbit, Florence Brown, Mary Cree, 
Mrs. Hoskinson. Lizzie McDowell, Mrs. 
Nill, Maggie Nill, Miss A. Radabaugh, 
Mrs. Johns, Mrs. Caufman, Anna Watson, 
Kate Heck, Mattie Watson, Eliza Irvin, 
Mrs. Jacob Brown, Mrs. Heyser, Mrs. E. 
Culbertson, Lide Tolbert, Mira Black, 
Lizzie Watson, Mrs. John Nill, Mrs. Mc- 
Fadden, Maggie Seibert, Hallie Beatty, 
Mrs. Etter, Mrs. Dr. Montgomery, Jennie 
Kirby, Mrs. Kimmell, Miss Reily, There- 
sa Armstrong, Miss Flory, Nancy Early, 
Mrs. Duncan, Mrs. Clark, Sallie Smith, 
Mrs. Wood, Jennie Davis, Mrs. Captain 
Brown, Miss Lizzie Nill, Miss Kindline, 
Mrs. Mull, Mrs. T. B. Kennedy, Miss Rit- 
ner, Miss J. Gilmore, Miss Gillau, Miss 
Detrich, Mrs. J. Eyster, Mary Eyster, 
Mrs. Allie Eyster, Kate Davis, Miss Sel- 
lers, Mrs. Everett, Miss Sallie Miller, Miss 
Radabaugh, Mrs. Berger, Miss Work, 
Mrs. Carlisle, Miss L. McLellan, Sarah 
Reynolds, Alice Senseny, Mrs. George 
Eyster, Sr., Ellie Eyster, Mrs. Britton, 
Mrs. P. Smith, Miss Oaks, Miss Stirk, 
MissKuhn, Mrs. Bankard, Kate Kirby, 
Mrs. Heyser, Mrs. Dechert, Mrs. Lull, 
Mrs. Sharpe, Mrs. Dr. Suesserott Mrs. 
Guthrie, Annie Reed, Mrs. Wolfkill,Mrs. 
Hazlet, Mrs. Hull, Mrs. Myers, Miss Hoff- 
man, Helen Early. Mary Black, Miss 
Bechtol, Miss Stoufler, Mrs. H. Greena- 
walt, Alcesta Lull, Mrs. Julie Grove, Mrs. 
McDowell, Sophia Clipper, Miss Yager, 
Mrs. Fritz, Mrs. Shepler. 

In giving a list of the workers it is im- 
possible to give work done by individuals. 
Suffice it to say that during the months 
following ovQv fifteen hundred garments 
were made, sent away and used in our own 
hospitals, consisting in part of sheets, 
shirts, drawers, pillows, pillow cases, car- 
pet slippers, double wrappers, flannel 
sacques, towels, handkerchiefs, bandages, 
i&c. Mr. H. refers to the memorable Sab- 



Retmniscenccs of the War. 



167 



bath that we met in the old church, and 
spent theafternoon in packing boxes, mak- 
ing bandages, &c. None who were pres- 
ent will ever forget that day, when messa- 
ges went from house to house, and people 
moved by one impulse, came to aid in the 
good work. 

Included in the number of garments 
named was an order, received from Dv. 
Henry H. Smith, for the following arti- 
cles, after the battle of Antietam, the ma- 
terials to be paid for by the government, 
tlie work gratuitous by our society. The 
following is a copy of items of l)ill in Dr. 
Smith's writing : 

SepTkmi!EU 22na, 18G2. 
TliC United Stales To Mrs. liebecca Sobneck, 
Dr. 

To bedding furnished Academy, Scliool House 
and Franklin Hall Hospitals for IF. S. troops, 
wounded at Antietam and looated at Cham- 
bersbnrg, by order of ]\redieal Inspector Cuy- 
ler, Ibrougli Henry H. Smith, Surgeon Gen. 
of Pennsylvania, and acting Medical Dii'ector 
U. S., and by command of I>rig. Gen. Keynolds, 
as follows : 

To 2G.5 bed sacks ^347 15 

" 19.5 yds. check for spreads 43 39 

" 83 yds. ticking (pillows) 15 62 

'•■ 1.".5 sheets 85 25 

" 175 pillow cases 21 00 

$512 41 

I cannot go into particulars, but after a 
lapse of four months and an interminable 
amount of "red tape," Mr. Nixon and my- 
self visiting Philadelphia, going from of- 
fice to office, we succeeded in getting the 
amount and paying our own merchants 
for goods ordered. I copy a note from Dr. 
Smith : 

"Dr. S. desires to say in reiily to Mrs. ]^'s 
communication, that the better plan will be to 
put the bills into the hands of an agent to col- 
lect at the Surgeon General's office, AVashing- 
ton. Stating the fact of reftisal to pay of par- 
ties in Philadelphia. Dr. (Juyler's approval 
would be all that is required, and he is proba- 
bly in Washington. Dr. Smith regrets the 
want of faith apparent in the non-settlement of 
a bill contracted under full orders of the prop- 
er U. S. officers, and if not paid would recom- 
mend a legal course. Jan. 13th, 18G2." 

When these hospitals were opened, com- 
mittees were formed to visit each day to 
furnish such articles of food as the gov- 
ernment could not, and wounded and con- 
valescent soldirs required, and supply 
many little luxuries. 

The School House Hospital committee for 
Thursday, was Mrs. Lull, Mrs. McKinley; Fri- 
day, Mrs. Itituer, ISIrs. Hull ; Saturday, Mrs. 
McCullgh, Miss Wark; Sabbath, Mrs. Emb- 
ich, Miss L. Flack ; Monday, Mrs. Beatty, Mrs. 
Erhart; Tue.sday, Mrs. C. Ey.ster, Mrs. Auld ; 
Wednesday, Mrs. Wood, Mrs. S. M. Armstrong. 

Franklin Hall, Thursday, Mrs. Nead, Mrs. 



Hoke ;■ Friday, Mrs. Reeves, Mrs. Culbertson ; 
Saturday, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Douglas ; Sabbath, 
Mrs. AWio. Eyster, Mrs. lluber; Monday, IVfrs. 
Nelson, Mrs. Caufman ; Tuesday, Mrs. liard, 
INfrs. Paxton ; \\'edne.sday, Mrs. Gilmore, Wat- 
son, Messei'sniith. 

Academy, Thursday, jNIrs. John Armstrong, 
Mrs. Nixon; Friday, ]Mrs. I'.urnett, Mrs. Wal- 
lace ; Saturday, Mrs. William Seibert, Mrs. 
Wright; Sabbath, Mr.s. John Heed, Mrs. J. 
Culbertson ; Monday, Mrs. Hoskinson, INIrs. 
Guthrie; Tuesday, Mr.s. iirown, Mr.s. ISI'Dow- 
ell ; Wednesday,' Mrs. McLellau, Mrs. Her.sh- 
bcrger. 

There were many boxes of fruit, jellies, 
&c., &c., received from other towns. I 
am very sorry there is no record of them. 
One large one J remember from the L. A. 
Society of liancaster. Our committee took 
charee of and made proper distribution of 
such things. It will not be deemed im- 
proper to mention some things that were 
donated by different persons and prepared. 
One time I rememlier thirteen chickens 
were stewed at my house, and a bushel of 
sweet potatoes roasted for a dinner. At 
one of my neighbors hot corn-bread was 
baked for supper, frozen custard one day 
for eighty men then in the Academy, and 
various articles of that sort. I will give a 
quotation or two from the Sanitary Com- 
mission : 

Philadelphia, May 14th, 1803. 

The Woman's Penna. Branch of U. S. Sanita- 
ry commission acknowledges with pleasure the 
receipt of five very valuable boxes of clothing 
and hospital stores from L. A. Society of Cham- 
bersburg. Ladies, your society has done no- 
bly. We have received few as valuable contri- 
butions from any .society. 

Another of May 8th. 

The ladies of Chambersburg are known far 
and wide for their devotion to the cause of the 
Union. Their patriotism will nevei- be forgot- 
ten. 

JSomc of the I'hiladelphians forget it very 
soon. It is to 1)6 regretted that we have 
no record of money raised for this one ob- 
ject. Miss Chambers' papers being all de- 
stroyed by the fire. I find a slip cut from 
a newspaper of Miss Douglas' *second re- 
V)ort : Balance in Treasury, Aug. 1803, 
$;146.18. Feb., 1864, Rev. John Warner's 
lecture on Battle of (lettysburg, $78.55 ; 
donations from gentlemen, $2(19 50, mak- 
ing $4n4.2;:5. On another page of my book 
this record : 
lleceived from Mr. Watson from Presbyterian 

church $70 GO 

Mrs. McKinley 2 00 

iMr. McLellan, from (Juincy 66 75 

Miss S. Chambers 5 00 

Mrs. Nelson 5 00 

Kitty Lindsay 1 00 

Miss Denny 5 00 

Mr. A. Stouffer 2 00 

Odd Fellows 25 00 

J. & W. Eyster 20 00 



1 68 



Reminiscences of the War. 



Mr. Nixon ?10 00 

Capt. Brown 5 00 

Dr. Platte 2 00 

Mr. Jacob Hoke 20 00 



*Miss Douglas succeeded Miss Cliamliers. 

This, of course, is a very imperfect 
sketch, as all churches aud uaauy individ- 
uals gave just as liberally. It may serve 
to show coming generations how nobly the 
people responded to the country's call. 

The following is an editorial notice in 
the Valley Spirit of July 30th, 18G2 : 

We visited on Friday last tlae United Pres- 
byterian church which is oecuiiied by the "La- 
dies' Aid Society." We found tlie room pretty 
well lilled with ladies engaged in the noble, pa- 
triotic and christian duty of providing clothing 
and other comforts for our sick and wounded 
soldiers. We might say much in praise of our 
ladies, but this is an age in which noble deeds 
bring their own reward. We will say this 
much, however. The ladies of Chambersburg 
will compare with any in existence, in their ef- 
forts to provide for the Avants and relieve the 
sufferings of our soldiers. They have enlisted 
in the good cause their nimble lingers and their 
noble, warm heartSj with a will. All honor 
then to our ladies who have thus nobly evinced 
their i)ati'iotism, and vindicated that judg- 
ment which the poet has iironounced upon their 
sex, and which the world has applauded : 

"When pain and anguish wring the brow 
A ministering angel thou." 

From the Valley Spirit Aug. 6th, 1862: 

Most of the churches in this place have ta- 
ken up collections for relief of the sick and 
woundetl. During the last week, the Luthe- 
ran church moved in this matter and on Sun- 
day after a sermon by the i^astor "on the bless- 
•edness of giving," completed their work. The 
result was a contribution of three hundred dol- 
lars. 

Much of the credit for this successful result 
is due to the zeal and activity of P>. F. Nead, 
Esq., in soliciting from the congregation dur- 
ing the week. 
Sept. 3d, 1802. 

The following dispatch has been issued 
from Wasliington by the Burgeon Gener- 
al : 

To the loyal women and children in the Uni- 
ted States : — The supply of lint in the market 
is nearly exhausted. The brave men wounded 
in defence of the countiy will soon be in want 
of it. I appeal to you to come to our aid in 
snpjilying us with the necessary article. There 
is scarcely a woman or child who cannot scrape 
lint, and there is no way in which they can be 
more ixseful than in furnishing means to dress 
the wounds of those who fall in the defence of 
their rights and homes. 

In response to this call, Mrs. Schneck, 
the president of the ladies' society here, 
issued the following appeal : 

In behalf of the Ladies' A. Society, I appeal 
to all friends of our country in the town and 
surrounding community, to j)rei)are lint and 
send it in as soon as possible. Also old shirts, 



sheets, ike, suitable for bandages to dress 
wounds. 

I would also add that onions, tomatoes, pota^ 
toes and dried fruits are much needed, and will 
be thankfully received and forwarded. In be- 
half of the society. 

il. R. Schneck, President. 

Persons who reside in the country can leave 
such articles as they wish to go to sick and 
wounded soldiers at the drug store of J. S. 
Nixon. 

The following is copied from the Valley 
Spirit of March 5th, 18(;3 : 

The box of hospital supplies made up at Nix- 
on's drug store by some ladies of this place, 
was forwarded last week to the 77th Reg. in 
Kent ucUy. This box will reach the place most 
needed at the right time, and its contents will 
prove acceptable to sick soldiers. When the 
77th left Camp Wood for Nashville, it had over 
one hundred sick in hospital at Munford.sville. 
To this jioint the box was sent. 

From the Valley Sjnrit, Sept. 24th, 
1862 : 

The Second and thii'd floors of the Franklin 
Hall are occupied at present for hospital pur- 
poses. Several hundred sick and wounded 
have already been brought over from the battle 
field and everything that can be done by skill- 
ful physicians and a humane community is 
being done to render them comfortable. 

The following is Surgeon General 
Smith's acknowledgement: 

SUKGEON GENEBAT.'.S OeFICE, } 

Chambersburg, Sept. 25, 1862. ^ 
The under.signed, on behalf of a large number 
of soldiers of the Penna. militia, as well of the 
United States volunteers, respectfully tenders 
his thanks to citizens of Chambersburg for re- 
freshments liberally furnished by them to 
these men arriving in the town during the late 
emergency. He also tenders to the ladies of 
the Christian Association assembled in the 
United Presbyterian church, his grateful ac- 
knoidedycnient of the valuable assistance they 
have rendered the U. S. troops in the General 
Hospitals of ChamJjersburf/. Py their nntiring 
efforts in preparing bedding and other articles 
urgently recpiired by the wounded soldiers on 
their arri\al from the field of battle, they have 
greatly contributed to their comfort and wel- 
fare, and diminished the labors nf the surgeons 
in chai-ge. 

Hknkv 11. Smith, 
Siirfieon General Penh'a. 

The following is the action taken by the 
soldiers for favors shown them : 

Headquarters Co. F., from Huntingdon. 
The following resolutions were adopted : 

Resolved, That the thanks of this company 
be tendt'rcd ]\Irs. Win. McLellan for the mag- 
nificent dinner she has furnished us to-day. 
JJcut. W'M. Lewis. 

\l. Milton Speek, 

iSecreiary. 

Tlie olhcers and members of Cajit. Thomas 
W. JA-nn's Co. (Tith P.a. Pegt.) return their 
sincere thanks to ladies who conlriluited to our 
comfort on our arrival from Hagerstowu while 



Reminiscences of the War. 



169 



quartered in the Court House. They will be 

lield in grateful remembrance. 

1st. Lieut. W. A. CoStahay, 
I'd Lieut. WiM. L. Davis. 

From the Valley Spirit of Dec. 17th, 
1862 : 

About one hundred and twenty of the sick 
and wounded soldiers who have been in our 
hospitals, were removed on Thursday last to 
Philadeli)hia in charge of Dr. A. It. Kodgers. 
Medical Director. Most of the men ai'e conva- 
lescent, and seemed to leave Chambersburg 
with regret. The ladies of our town were un- 
tiring in their attentions to these men, whilst 
in our midst. They no doubt have their 
reward in the heartfelt gratitude of the soldiers 
and the approval of their consciences. 

Valley Spirit, of Nov. 12th : 

The following donations were received and 
distributed at the "School House Hospital" 
during the i>ast week. From Mrs. JNIcGrath, 
pies, rusk and sundries. A large donation of 
IJOtatoes, cabbage, onions, pumpkins, green 
and dried apples, apple butter, &c., by Mrs. 
Mahon (coUectetl from Scotland and vicinity). 
Milk, flour and eggs, through IVIrs. Auld. 
Corn starch from Mrs. Caufman. Cider and 
apples from Mrs. Senseny and Davis. Blanc- 
mange from Mrs. Chambers. Apples and 
milk, Mrs. Dr. Fisher. Baked beans, Mrs. 
Lull and Ritter. A liberal donation of fruit, 
bxitter, &c., from I^ancaster, through L. A. S. 
Mrs. Nead, apple butter. Cherry butter, Mrs. 
Sprecher. From Fayetteville, through Miss 
Horner, Miss McGowan, Miss Colby and Miss 
Mattie lirown, pies, cakes, bread, apples, 
milk, jellies, butter. Donors, ]N[rs. Barr, Mrs. 
Dr. Hartzell, Mrs. Oyler, Mrs. Greenawalt, 
Mrs. Weldy. Pies and apjjles from Mrs. 
Richards and Miss Henderson. Mrs. Duncan, 
blanc-mange and cream. Vegetables, Mrs. 
Kline. Prepared farina and milk for the 
whole house from Radebaugh, Brewer, Cul- 
bertson and Xead. Farina in package from 
Boston through Mrs. Clark. Mrs. Montgom- 
ery, Mrs. Grove, Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Anderson, 
Mrs. Ehrhart, JNIiss Stouflfer, private meals to 
patients. 

A very agreeable musical entertainment 
by a party of ladies and gentlemen ought 
to have been mentioned. Then follows 
names of committees for this hospital 
(given in a former part of this article) 
and the Steward says: "To these are to 
be added others, among whom must be 
specially named Anna Newman and Net- 
tie Flack. Nothing can exceed the devo- 
tion with which these ladies have address- 
ed themselves in catering to the wants of 
the soldiers, made more laborious by the 
inconvenience of a hospital, designed 
for mere temporary use. Even when 
the building was threatened with destruc- 
tion on the morning of rebel invasion, 
when all other help had fled, some of 
these ladies were found at their posts. It 
is surely no infringement of the delicacy 
of the sex to send forth this humble record 



as a greeting to the noble band of mothers 
and sisters in other towns engaged in sim- 
ilar labors. It indicates an army of brave 
hearts at home as well as in the field, and 
furnishes the best guarantee of the ulti- 
mate triumph of the Government we love. 
George Bayne, 
Hospital Steivard.'''' 

Again on Nov. 19th : "A large list of 
delicacies, fruit and vegetables, from con- 
tributors named, and Mrs. Ebbert, Thom- 
son, Newman, Nead, Brewer, Jordan, 
Reeves. From Fayetteville. Also, Mrs. 
Britton, Trostle, Linn and E. D. Reid. 
With a mention of shirts, towels and 
handkerchiefs from Li. A. T. A week 
later Mrs. Chas. Eyster, Mrs. Wood, Liz- 
zie Lester, a liberal donation again from 
Fayetteville from Mrs. Crawford, consist- 
ing of chickens, pies, rusk, &c. A move- 
ment to furnish the entire house with 
mush and milk was eflfeeted in great pro- 
fusion, by about thirty ladies, most of 
whom have been named. A concert by 
the sweet voices in Presbyterian choir was 
among the luxuries enjoyed last week." 

Another article, Dec. ;3, 18t)2. "A din- 
ner was given to the inmates of the Hos- 
pitals here on Thanksgiving day. Never 
before did soldiers sit down to such a 
dinner. Turkeys and ducks and chick- 
ens and roasts and bakes and stews and 
puddings and pies in endless variety. 
Nothing was lacking which the valley 
could supply. Great anxiety was evinced 
by the citizens lest there should not be 
enough ,and many families sacrificed entire- 
ly their own private entertainment. The 
overplus lasted the remaining days of the 
week. It was an ovation to the everlast- 
ing credit of Chambersburg. At the close 
the men gave three roaring cheers, and 
subscribed to a card which reads thus : 

The undersigned, for themselves and associ- 
ates, take this method of tendering thanks for 
the magnificent entertainment of Thanksgiving 
day. They are aware this is but a feeble return 
for the kindness extended. But it is all a sol- 
dier has to give. These are his cherished mem- 
ories easily impressed but never forgotten. 
When duty calls it is ours to obey. But we 
shall carry the remembrance of Chambersburg 
to every camp. It shall be our watchword on 
every lield." Signed by John C. Lewi.s, M. 
D., and eighty others. 

The following is taken from one of our 
town papers of Feb. 22d, 1862 : 

A few days ago the Rev. Rebaugh, of near 
Chambersburg, dropped into headciuarters of 
tlic 4{Jth Pa. Vol. and presented to Col. Jos. 
Knipe, for the use of his regiment, a timely 
and acceptable gift, in the shape of a box of 
mittens knit by the fair hands of Chambersburg 
ladies. We tender the cordial thanks of all 
for the kind remembrance of Pennsylvania's 
stout-hearted and brawny-handed sons, by 



170 



Reminiscences of the War. 



pious motliers, loved sisters, and sweet daugli- 
ters of the hospitable town of Chambersburg. 
"Tis gratifying to the soldier, as he walks his 
lonely beat, amidst the storms of winter, to 
know that the loved ones at home are mindfnl 
of him, and labor so zealously to make him 
comfortable as he vigilantly guards the homes 
and lives of those whom he AnoM\s little but loves 
much. We feel the kind remembrance of us 
exemplitied in this timely gift by the fair 
ladies of Chambersburg and venture the hope 
that when the fortunes of war bring us home 
again they will not, as now, give us the 
mitten. 

A SOLDIKK OF -tOTJI IlKUT. I'KNNA. A'OLS. 

From another paper : 

The (Quarter Master (ieueral acknowledges a 
large box of Hospital supplies, and adds : 
Xoble deeds the test of beauty, and in this re- 
spect the ladies of Mercersbwg will come up to 
the standard of loyalty, and a little beyond. 
Also a notice of 80 pairs of woolen socks having 
been received from ladies of Guilford township, 
signed by Capt. D. G, Thomas, and another of 
150 pairs from Greencastle, through Mrs. D. F. 
Robinson. Acknowledged by 

Capt. Will Housk. 

In this sanae connection I copy from the 
same paper of May 4th, 1864 : 

In pursuance of notice given, the ladies of 
Chambersburg convened at the residence of J. 
S. Nixon, on Tuesday, April 2Glh, to consider 
the propriety of holding a fair for the benefit of 
the Christian Commission. After a short ad- 
dress by Kev. S. J. Niccolls, Eev. F. Dyson 
was called to the chair, and Miss Mary 
jNIcCulloh appointed Secretary. On motion it 
was decided to hold the fair, and the following 
officers elected : President, Mrs. General D. N. 
Couch ; Vice President, Mrs. Wm. IMcLellan ; 
Treasurer, Mrs. J. L. Dechert. Managers, 
Mrs. L. S. Clark, Mrs. J. K. Shryock, Mrs. 
John Armstrong, Mrs. H. S. Stoner, Mrs. Wm. 
Mitchell, ISIrs. B. T. Fellows, Mrs. Hoskinson, 
Mrs. McClure, Mrs. S. G. Lane, Miss Keynolds, 
Miss Helen Seibert, Miss Sarah Wright, Miss 
M. Stevenson, Miss Ellen Cook, Miss Kate 
Wilt, and Miss Maggie Glosser. 

Collectors were appointed to solicit from citi- 
zens. Ladies of neighboring towns were invi- 
ted, signed by Mrs. Couch. June 18th. Com- 
mittees appointed : Fancy tables. Misses M. 
Seiders, ]V[aggie McCuUoh. Kate Miller, Mary 
Black, Mrs. Wm. Stenger, Mrs. Wm. Carlisle, 
Mrs. \\ McCoy. Toys and books, Mr.s. Shry- 
ock and Mrs. Foster. Ice cream, Mrs. AVun- 
ilerlich. Miss Stevenson. Cake, INIrs. Mitchell, 
Mrs. Fellows. Confectionery, Mrs. Lane, ]Mrs. 
IMatt, Miss S. Wright. Major Bert. Ilestaur- 
ant, ISIrs. Lull, INlrs. Early, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. 
A. H. McCulloh. Strawberries, Mrs. Wm. 
McDowell, Mrs. Nixon. Floral, Misses Mary 
and lAicy Chambers, and Capt. Sweringen. 
Silverware, Mrs. H. S. Stoner, INIiss Wampler. 
Lemonade, ]Mr. and JNIrs. Kinney, and Mrs. 
Duncan. 

June 22d. The fair held by the ladies of 
('hambersburg and vicinity for the benefit of 
the V. S. Christian Commission, opened in 
Kranklin Hall, on the i;>th inst., and continued 
until Saturday evening last. The Hall and 



Court House were both used for the display of 
articles for sale, and were thronged during the 
entire period with an interested and delighted 
crowd of A'isitors, who dispensed their cash 
with commendable liberality. The Halls were 
decorated with much taste and the display of 
articles in A'arious departments spoke Avell for 
the industry of our ladies, when excited to 
action by charitable objects. The C)ld Folks' 
Concert attracted an immense crowd from 
neighboring towns and villages, and on eacli 
evening the Hall was packed with delighted 
though perspiring auditors. 

No one who attended this, by far the 
grandest, in every sense of the word, affair 
that M'as ever given in our town will ever 
forget it, and though twenty years have 
rolled away, and many of the familar 
names are recalled only with a sigh, as the 
thought comes, they too have passed 
away. Memory takes me back to the old 
Court House, with its decorations of 
flowers, banners, flags and other patriotic 
emblems, the stirring music of drum and 
fife, the sweet strains of the Chambersburg 
Cornet Band, The men in uniforms, etc , 
and the delicious lunches. How soon 
after was all laid waste by the rebel torch, 
lu the paper published three days before 
the flre I find the following : 

July 2Gth, 1864. Receipts and expenditures 
of Ladies' Fair for benefit of C. C. — June 14th. 

To subscription of committees in Chambers- 
burg, |!9u3.55. The managers acknowledge the 
following donations : 

JNIiss B. Walk (Upper Path Valley) . ^ 159 74 

Mrs. Wm. Burgess (Loudon) 14 .")ii 

General S. Cameron 10 00 

Mrs. INIonn and Miss Welty (Quincy) in4 oO 

Mr. Pomeroy (Eoxbury) 44 0(1 

Mrs. John Eberly 1 Oo 

John Wallace 5 00 

Henry Wills 2 00 

Mrs. S. B. Fisher 5 00 

Mrs. Dr. Reamer (Bedford) 10 00 

INlrs. Dr. Wright -■'• 00 

G. Deitz, wood H 40 

Ladies' Aid Society, Chambersburg. . 20 0(i 

Capt. Jos. Ege •'' 00 

(lash from Fair 2,<)27 O." 

Cash from Old Folks' Concert 557 4:! 

Cash from Museum 77 00 

Cash from Fayetteville table Kil 05 

|;4,8;?i lu; 

Kxpenses 1,304 10 

$l>,n27 77 
The managers return thanks to the Frank- 
lin Hall Co., Commissioners, Xrc, &c., to the 
citizens and vicinity for generous contributions 
and encouragement, and thanks to all who 
have aided in making up the amount. Signed 
Mrs. J. L. Dkchkkt, 
See7-ct(iry. 

In the following days these same "loy- 
al," kind, patriotic, hospitable people 
were homeless and penniless. When 



Reminiscences of the War. 



171 



bliickeued walls and hearthstones were all 
that remained of our homes, when sad 
memories of the past were of hourly re- 
currence, when the problem of how to 
keep "the wolf from the door" was ever 
pressing upon us, this large amount of 
money was sent to the Christian Commis- 
sion. Part of it after the town was in 
ashes, and the people had not bread to eat. 
The money had been raised for our suffer- 
ing soldiers and we did not feel as if we 
had any right to it; and yet that which 
should have gained us favor, was only an 
injury. It was received with the utmost 



coolness by the Treasurer of that Commis- 
sion. I remember well the acknowledg- 
ment but do not the exact date. 1 also 
recall a tirade of abuse I received when 
doing some shopping for a widowed 
mother some mouths after, in Philadel- 
phia, which reflected very bitterly on our 
treatment of the soldier, &c. While we 
bury the wrongs of the past, we gratefully 
remember those who came to our relief in 
our time of need. 

Mrs. J. S. Nixon. 

Ckarnherabarg , Aug. 7th, 1884. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



The Nation's Shrine, or Three Visits to Gettysburg. 



On the afternoon of Monday, July 6th, 
1863, when the fact of the defeat of the 
Confederate army at Gettysburg and its 
retreat southward was fully assured, a 
considerable number of our citizens start- 
ed out for sight seeing. Several went to 
Hagerstown expecting to witness a great 
battle there. How they fared and what 
came of it have been stated elsewhere. 
Many others went to visit the field of car- 
nage at Gettysburg. Conveyances were 
scarce and in demand, and the majority 
had to walk. I was among the few who 
succeeded in procuring a seat in a spring 
wagon, which had been kept from being 
taken off by the rebels by taking oft" its 
wheels and secreting them under a house 
half a mile out of town. We left Cham- 
bersburg about two o'clock in the after- 
noon, and reached Gettysburg a little 
while before dark. All along the road 
from this place to Gettysburg the eviden- 
ces of encampments were visible. At Fay- 
etteville we saw some Federal cavalry who 
were gathering up straggling rebels. These 
stragglers were foot-sore, tired and greatly 
discouraged. We found them all along 
the road. One of them, a North Caroli- 
nian, we gave a seat in our wagon and 
hauled him several miles. He was so foot- 
sore and weary that he could scarcely walk 
and we pitied him. This man told us the 
usual story of nearly all the men we con- 
versed with from his State that he was op- 
posed to the war, was in favor of the Union, 
had been dragged away from his family, 
and was resolved never again to fight in 
the cause he detested. Of his sincerity we 
had not a doubt. Poor fellow, his, heart 



yearned for his absent wife and children 
and he desired to know if there was any 
way by which he coula have them brought 
north so that he need not ever return to 
his southern home. 

At the top of the mountain a line of 
breastworks was thrown up, with an open- 
ing in the middle of the pike for artillery. 
These fortifications were evidently for the 
protection of their rear in case of an ad- 
vance of any hostile force in that direction. 
Reaching Cashtown we saw the evidence 
of large encampments. Broken down fen- 
ces, the remains of slaughtered cattle and 
other debris of military encampments 
were visible on every side. When near- 
ing Marsh Creek, four or five miles this 
side of Gettysburg, we saw in the bottom 
lands skirting that stream, a large number 
of tents. This was one of the Confederate 
hospitals, and these tents and the woods 
around were filled with wounded men. 
From this place on to Gettysburg, eve- 
ry house, barn and other outbuildings 
was improvised into a hospital. Men 
wounded and maimed in almost every 
conceivable way lay along the roadside, in 
yards and gardens. Some were propped 
against the houses, or supported against 
the backs of chairs with an arm or lee off, 
ami some having lost both arms. Dead 
horses lay along the road, and the people, 
in some instances, were piling wood upon 
and burning them. In the fields west of 
Seminary Kidge, where the battle of the 
first day occurred, hundreds and even 
thousands of empty boxes were strewn. 
The contents of these boxes, in the shape 
of shot and shell, had been hurled against 



172 



Reminiscences of the War. 



the gallant defenders of the Union, and 
sent hundreds into eternity and crippled 
and maimed others for life. Along the 
crest of Seminary Itidge breastworks were 
thrown up, and from that plsice to the 
town dead Union soldiers were seen par- 
tially covered with earth. Several had 
been put into the gullies made by water 
along the roadside, and their toes, bauds, 
noses and, in some cases, their faces pro- 
truded from their slight covering of earth 
scraped from the pike. New made graves 
were in the fields on both sides of the road. 

Arriving at Gettysburg, we procured 
lodgment for the night, and then saunter- 
ed out to see whatever we could. In the 
Court Hosue sickening sights met our 
gaze. Every available place in the rooms, 
halls, vestibule and stairway was crowded 
with suffering heroes. Many had lost an 
arm or a leg. Groans of agony were heard 
on every side. The churches and other 
public buildings were also crowded with 
wounded men. The amputating tables 
were yet standing, and arms and legs were 
thrown indiscriminately upon piles and 
covered with earth. 

In the morning at an early hour we 
started out to visit the field of battle. 
Teamsters and ambulance drivers, over- 
come with excessive labor, were laying 
asleep under the shadow of churches and 
other buildings. We made our way first 
towards Gulp's Hill. The line of breast- 
works along the crest of East Cemetery 
Hill was plainly visible. After going a 
short distance we found in a field a man's 
leg, and a little distance from it a partly 
buried confederate. This leg was evident- 
ly separated from the body by a piece of a 
shell, for its torn and mangled edge showed 
this. Near by we picked up part of a pock- 
et Bible. It had been cut nearly in two by 
some missile, the irregular edges and an- 
gles of which corresponded with both the 
marks upon the Bible and the soldier's 
leg. The soldier had evidently carried 
this Bible in the pocket of his blouse, and 
the same shell which had severed his leg 
had cut through his Bible. That he was 
a rebel was evident in the place where he 
was found, and in the fact that a rebel song 
was enclosed within his Bible. The leaves 
of the Bible were stained with the blood 
of its owner. It may have been a gift trotn 
some devoted mother or wife. We divided 
the leaves among us, and sometime after- 
wards, while in the city of New York, 1 
gave a number of them to a friend, who 
placed them on sale at the great Fair held 
there for the benefit of the Sanitary Com- 
mission. A minister of one of the city 
churches, to whom my friend presented 
one of these leaves, took it into his pulpit 
and took his text from it. 

Within the lines where the brave de- 



fenders of the Union had stood, were, here 
and there, places where wounded men had 
lain. Branches from the trees and leaves 
were gathered together for a bed, and these 
were saturated with blood. Paper, enve- 
lopes, bits of letters, shreds of clothing, 
pieces of photographs, muskets, bayonets, 
ramrods, knapsacks, haversacks, caps, old 
shoes and blankets, and many other arti- 
cles, were scattered everywhere. The trees 
were riddled with balls. We saw an iron 
ramrod so fastened in a tree that we could 
not pull it out. It had evidently been fired 
from some musket, and buried itself so 
deeply that we failed, as did several oth- 
ers, to extract it. Long trenches, heaped 
over with fresh earth, told where tens, 
twenties and fifties of rebels were interred. 
They boasted that in coming into our 
State they had got back into the Union. — 
Many who thus boasted occupied these 
trenches. Their boasting had met a fear- 
ful verification. ITpon Cemetery Hill, 
within the enclosure where rest many of 
the former residents of Gettysburg, the ev- 
idences of the terrible strife were painful- 
ly visible. Many of the tombstones and 
monuments had been laid down, either tv) 
prevent their being defaced and broken, or 
to form sheltering places from the iron 
and leaden hurricane which had concen tra- 
tedfrom one hundred and twentyguns upon 
that place. The silent sleepers in that city 
of the dead, all unconscious of the terrible 
conflict going on all about them, uttered 
no protest against the temporai-y and ne- 
cessary desecration of their last resting 
place. Several of the monuments in this 
cemetery were defaced by shot and shell. 

Passing on down along the Union line, 
we saw where Pickett's great charge was 
made in the afternoon of the third day's 
battle. Muskets were piled up along a 
fence like cord wood. There must have 
been ten thousand in one of those ranks. 
Dead horses lay all about the house where 
General Meade had his headquarters, and 
from that place all along down to Round 
Top scores of them were seen. Some had 
great holes in them, and pools of blood 
had formed in the hollow places. They 
were swollen and putrid, and the stench 
was horrible. Arriving at Little Round 
Top we ascended to its summit, and the 
scene of the second day's engagement was 
before us, in which Sickles' corps, perhaps 
injudiciously posted, was pushed back step 
by step from the Peach Orchard, a half 
mile to the west, to the base of this hill. 
Leaving Round Top, we passed by the 
Devil's Den, seeing here and there among 
the huge boulders, unburied confederates. 
They were black and bloated, eyes open 
and glaring, and corruption running 
from their mouths. I had seen similar 
sights before upon the field of South Moun- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



173 



taiu, but some of our party bad not seeu 
the like before. They were shocked and 
horrified. Over the ground where the 
most desperate fighting that ever occurred 
upon this continent took place — the his- 
toric Wheat Field and Peach Orchard — 
we pcissed and returned by the Emmitts- 
burg road. In this field and orchard the 
evidences of the great struggle were nu- 
merous. The ground was covered with 
the debris of battle, while blankets could 
have been gathered by the wagon loads. 
All along the Emmittsburg road pools of 
blood were seen. When passing where 
Pickett's assaulting column crossed the 
road, the ground was like the floor of a 
slaughter house. In the low ground be- 
yond Codori's, dead confederates yet 
lay unburied. One lay dead in a stable 
near Codori's house, and a grave was be- 
ing dug for him when we passed. Return- 
ing to town we saw at the depot three or 
four disabled cannon. They were broken 
in various ways. One had been struck 
squarely in the muzzle by a solid shot one 
size larger than its calibre. The ball stuck 
fast in the muzzle and broke a piece out of 
it. Shortly after the middle of the day we 
left for home, bringing with us, as did al- 
most every one else who visited the field, 
some relic in the shape of bullets, bayo- 
nets, &c. Bullets could be gathered eve- 
rywhere, and we saw persons engaged in 
collecting them by the bucketfull. During 
a recent visit to Gettysburg we were in- 
formed that these bullets, gathered by dif- 
ferent persons from the battlefield, were 
bought up by dealers, and one firm alone 
shipped fifty tons of them. This seems 
fabulous and we leave the reader to dis- 
count the statement to any extent he pleas- 
es. Even yet many are found, and to vis- 
itors they are the objects of diligent search. 
On Wednesday, Nov. ISth, 186:5, four 
months after the battle of Gettysburg I 
again visited that place to witness the cer- 
emonies connected with the consecration 
of the Soldip:r's National Cemetery. 
The occasion being one of national im- 
portance, persons were there from all parts 
of the country, among whom where Presi- 
dent Lincolx, several members of his cab- 
inet, foreign ministers, governors of .States, 
distinguished military men, and other per- 
sons of note. The President and his suite 
arrived by rail early in the evening and 
proceeded to the residence of Mr. David 
Wills on the southeast corner of the pub- 
lic square, where they were entertained. 
Shortly after dark the Marine band from 
Washington proceeded to the front of Mr. 
Wills' residence and played several excel- 
lent pieces of music, while the crowd 
which had gathered, loudly called for the 
President. A gentleman appeared at the 
door and announced that Mr. Lincoln was 



at supper, but would, as soon as he had 
eaten, respond to the call of the people. 
After a little while the door was again 
opened, and Abuaiiam Lincoln stood be- 
fore us. The appearance of the President 
was the signal for an outburst of enthusi- 
asm that I had never heard equalled. 
While the people cheered and otherwise 
expressed their delight, he stood before us 
bowing his acknowledgniients. At length 
silence was restored, when his face relaxed 
its appearance of careworn sadness and 
anxiety, and a kind and genial smile over- 
spread his countenance. He then said 
that we had doubtless expected a speech, 
and he would be happy to gratify us, but 
he dare not do it for Mr. Seward would not 
let him, and he could only thank us for the 
respect shown him and bid us all good 
night. Amidst a tremendous outburst of 
applause he withdrew, when loud calls 
were made for 'Six. Seward. Mr. Seward 
soon made his appearance and favored the 
audience with a speech of considerable 
length, in which he referred to the great 
issue before the country, and the part of 
the great drama which occurred in and 
about that place. 

In the morning of the following day, 
Thursday, 19th, the whole population of the 
surrounding country seemed to be crowding 
into Gettysburg. Almost everyone want- 
ed to see the President, and the house 
where he lodged was beseiged by an im- 
mense crowd, watching for his appearance. 
At length the time arrived for the proces- 
sion to move from the town to the ground 
set apart for the burial of the fallen heroes 
and the President emerged from the house 
and mounted a horse. It was with diffi- 
culty that he could move with the proces- 
sion, for the crowd pressed upon him and 
sought to grasp his hand. Desiring to get 
an eligible position upon the ground in 
company with my wife and several oth- 
ers, we proceeded to the cemetery. An 
immense crowd had already gathered there 
and were waiting the arrival of the Pres- 
ident. When the great and imposing pa- 
geant entered the ground, the thunder of 
the artillery again shook those hills ; and 
when at length, as one distinguished man 
after another mounted the platform, the 
tall form of the Nation's President was 
recognized , a shout went up to heaven like 
that which occurred when the hosts of 
treason and rebellion were defeated and 
thrown back from those hills a few months 
previously. 

Throughout the whole of the services, 
which occupied several hours, we were 
compelled to stand, and between the wear- 
isoraeness of the long-standing and the 
crowding and jostling of the people, sev- 
eral persons fainted and with difficulty 
were removed from the throng. At the 



174 



Reminiscences of iJic War 



couclusioa of JNIr. I']verett's address, aud 
after some excellent music, President Lin- 
coln arose, and amidst the tluinder of ar- 
tillery and the tremendous applause of the 
immense multitude, advanced to the front 
of the platform, his tall, gaunt form and 
sad but amiable face within the view of 
thousands who beheld the memorable 
scene. When silence was secured he pro- 
ceeded in slow and measured tones to de- 
liver his dedicatory address. His words 
were not heard by the larger majority of 
the people present, but during his address 
the most profound silence was observed. 
When he uttered the closing words, which 
have become immortal, emphasizing each 
sentence with a brief pause and a signifi- 
cant nodding and jerking of his head — 
''Hhat the government of the people^ by 
the people ^ and for the people^ shall not 
perish from the earth'''' — it occurred to me 
(for I stood within a few feet ot him and 
heard all he said) that I had never heard 
or read anything like them, and that they 
were destined to an imperishable immor- 
tality in the hearts of the American peo- 
ple. When the exercises closed the Pres- 
ident's horse was brought near to where I 
stood, aud taking the arm of Marshal La- 
mon, he came down from the platform 
and passed close by us. As he approached 
us my wife said, "O but I would like to 
shake his hand." Hearing this remark 
he turned and smiled, when I said, "Mr. 
President, will you have the kindness to 
permit this lady take you by the hand ?" 
"Most certainly," he replied, "if my horse 
will let me," for by that time his attend- 
ants were urging him to mount, and his 
horse was prancing. Mounting his horse 
he turned full around towards us and ex- 
tended his hand. My wife clasped it aud 
exclaimed, "God bless you, Mr. Lincoln ! 
God bless you !" The people standing near 
seeing this, made a rush for a shake of his 
hand, and his attendants, seeing the diflfi- 
culty he was about getting into, interfered 
and led him awayamidst the cries of "God 
bless you, Mr. Lincoln ! God bless you, Mr. 
President!" 

The admiration aud esteem of the peo- 
ple for President Lincoln exceeded any 
ever bestowed upon any other man within 
my knowledge. It was evidently not so 
much for him personally, as rej)resenta- 
t'lvehj . He was recognized as the embod- 
iment, the personilication of the cause 
which was enshrined in every patriot's 
heart, and for which the armies of the 
Union were contending. To love the 
Union was to love Abraham Lincoln. 
To hate and defame Abraham Lincoln 
was the acknowledged evidence of disloy- 
alty. The honored head of the Nation, 
standing upon the ground where one of 
ihe greatest struggles of modern times oc- 



curred for its very existence, and where its 
destiny was in part decided, that humble 
man of Illinois modestly received the will- 
ing homage of the assembled thousands. 
The Man— the President — the Govern- 
ment — the yet undecided peril to which it 
was exposed — the ground we were on — the 
sleeping thousands all about us, whose 
blood had been poured out that the 
Nation might live, all, all conspired to 
make the occasion one never to be forgot- 
ten. 

The Soldier's National Cemetery at Get- 
tysburg is situated upon Cemetery Hill, so 
called because upon it and immediately in 
the rear of where the heroes of the Union 
lie, the local cemetery of the town is loca- 
ted. It is composed of about seventeen 
acres, and occupies the position where the 
centre of the Federal line upon the second 
and third day's engagements rested. 
Around it occurred desperate fighting, 
and upon it, during the terrific cannonad- 
ing of the afternoon of the last day's fight, 
prior to the advance of Pickett's great as- 
saulting column jpon our left centre, the 
fire of one hundred and twenty guns was 
concentrated. In it are interred the bodies 
of 3,555 Union soldiers. They were from 
the following States: Maine, 104; New 
Hampshire, 48; Vermont, Gl ; Massachu- 
setts, 159; Rhode Island, 12; Connecticut, 
22; New York, 866; New Jersey, 78; 
Pennsylvanion,526 ; Delaware, 15; Mary- 
land, 22; West Virginia, 11; Ohio, 181 ; 
Indiana, 80; Illinois, (i ; Michigan, 171 ; 
Wisconsin, 78; Minnesota, 52; United 
States Regulars, 188; Unknown, 979. 
These heroic men having gathered togeth- 
er from the East and West, and stood side 
by side under one flag, fighting for one 
cause, and pouring out their life blood 
together, it is but right and proper that 
they should not be divided in death, but 
rest upon the ground hallowed by their 
valor. For them there are no more hard- 
ships, no more weary marches, no more 
digging of trenches, no more charging into 
the yawning chasm of death, and no more 
cheering the old flag. They have fallen, 
but victory is ours— theirs enrollment 
upon the scroll of undying fame. They 
have not foughl; in vain. They did not 
die for nought. Not for themselves, but 
for their children ; for those who may 
never visit their graves or hear of their 
undying valor ; "lor humanity, righteous- 
ness, peace ; for I'aradise upon earth : for 
Christ and for God, they have given 
themselves a willing sacrifice. Blessed be 
their memories forever." On that "Altar 
of Sacrifice," then, that "Mount of Salva- 
tion," that "Field of Deliverance," guard- 
ed by the Nation they saved, let them 
sleep until the Archangel's clarion shall 
sound with a louder blast than that which 



Reminisce7ices of the War. 



175 



summoued them to that field of heroic 
deeds. 

"On Fame's eterual camping gi'Oimd 

Their silent tents are spread, 
Anil (Uory guards, with solemn round, 

The bivouac ot the dead." 

The month of April, IStio, was memora- 
ble in the history of the Nation. From 
the first day of the month until the ninth, 
bulletin after bulletin announced victory 
after victory for the Union arms. On 
Sabbath night, the 9th, we were aroused 
from our sleep by the ringing of bells and 
thunderof artillery. Weatonce knew what 
it meant, for the air during the previous 
day was fragrant with victory. Rushing 
into the street we heard cheer upon cheer. 
"iee /ms surrendered," was heard upon 
every side. '■^ Thank God^''' cried some, 
'■'•the Union is saved and the war is over'.'''' 
A company of artillerists quartered in the 
field opposite to where the new depot 
stands, brought out their guns, and dis- 
charge after discharge announced to the 
people throughout the country that joyful 
news had been received. The long pent 
up feelings of the people at last had an 
outlet, and the methods of expression 
adopted by some were ludicrous in the ex- 
treme. Handshaking, embracing each 
other, and lifting some of our citizens upon 
brick piles or into the hind end of a cart, 
and compelling them to make speeches, 
were not unusual. 

But this period of rejoicing was destined 
to be soon supplemented by a great revul- 
sion. On Saturday morning, the loth, 
while seated at the breakfast table, my 
wife, who had gone into the street to pur- 
chase some marketing, hastily returned 
with terror in her countenance, exclaim- 
ing : " Oh, they have killed the President .' • ' 
Jlushing into the street I ascertained that 
the report was but too true. Upon the 
bulletin board was posted the announce- 
ment, "TAe President was shot last night 
at Ford^s Iheatre." A little later came 
another, '•'■The President died this morn- 
incj at twentu-two minutes after seven 
o''dock.'''' Still later another announce- 
ment was made that Secretary Seward was 
dead. This was soon alter contradicted. 
At 11 o'clock a. m,, the Burgess of the 
town issued a proclamation announcing 
the death of the President and recom- 
mending that all business should be sus- 
pended during the day. In accordance 
with his recommendation all business 
houses were closed, flags were draped in 
mourning, and the church bells tolled all 
day. In the evening the pulpits of the 
churches were hung in mourning, and 
during the following week the demand for 
low priced black material for draping 
buildings was so great that the entire 
stock throughout the country and in the 
cities was exhausted. 



During the week ensuing the assassina- 
tion of the President 1 was in the city of 
New York, and while there the body of 
our loved and lamented chief was brought 
there on its way to Springfield, Illinois, 
its final resting place. The body was 
placed in a room in the second story of the 
City Hall, and the doors thrown open to 
visitors. There was one entrance by 
Chatham street and Park Row, on the 
east, and another by Broadway, on the 
west. Visitors passed in by one door, as- 
cended a flight of stairs, passed along by 
the corpse as it lay in its casket, surround- 
ed by General Dix and several other mili- 
tary men, and on down another flight of 
stairs, and out of the building by a difter- 
ent door from where they entered. Per- 
sons desiring to see the corpse had to take 
their place at the foot of the column, 
which extended for several squares from 
each place of entrance. Shortly after 
dark I took my place at the end of the 
line— some three squares from the City 
Hall, and amidst the crowding and jost- 
ling of the people who blocked up the 
entire street for squares, and who tried to 
break the line, in about an hour came up 
to the entrance of the Park where the 
crowding and pushing were so great that 
notwithstanding the efforts of the police, 
many were compelled to leave the line, 
and several fainted and had to be carried 
out over the heads of the people. At that 
point I came near being thrown down 
and trampled to death, but finally reached 
the building and passed by the lamented 
President. These lines were kept filled, and 
until four o'clock the next morning did 
that living tide of humanity thus press its 
way to get a last look at the lamented 
dead. No one was permitted to linger at 
the casket, but pass on. Tears and sobs 
were frequent, and expressions ot affec- 
tion involuntarily fell from many lips. 
At midnight a German Singing Society — 
about two hundred in number — gathered 
in front of the City Hall and sang a sol- 
emn funeral dirge. 

Shortly after daylight the throng again 
besieged the City Hall, and long lines 
stood along the streets and waited their 
turn to see the dead President. This con- 
tinued up to 10 o'clock, the time for the 
procession to move. Iieaving the neigh- 
borhood of the City Hall I went up Broad- 
way, above Canal street, and accepting an 
invitation to a place upon the flat roof of a 
store house, I stood there four hours 
watching the moving mass of humanity 
as it bore our dead Chieftain to the depot, 
and then becoming tired, and seeing no 
end of the procession, I came down and 
went to my hotel. Long before the end 
of that procession passed the place where 
I stood, the train which bore the corpse 



176 



Reminiscences of the War. 



and funeral party bad left the city and 
was miles away along the banks of the 
Hudson river towards its destination. 

The war opened with the firing upon 
Fort .Sumpter, April 12th, 1861, and virtu- 
ally closed with the assassination of its 
most illustrious victim, Abiiaiia3I Lin- 
coln, April 15th, 1865, but in the lan- 
guage of another of the Nation's martyrs, 
Jamks a. Garfield, "7/ie Government 
at WasJiington still lives.'''' 

July 2d, 1884. The noise and excite- 
ment of war haveended,and on this twen- 
ty-first anniversary of the Battle of Gettys- 
burg, I am again upon that field. The 
evidences of the great battle fought at 
that place which greeted me when I visit- 
ed it a day or two after the mighty con- 
flict, in the form of dead and loathesome 
corpses, mangled and suffering men, pools 
of human gore, and the wreck and waste 
of war, are no longer visible. The breast- 
works and other defensive works are still 
standing, and the marks of balls and shells 
upon trees and rocks yet remain. Upon 
the eastern slope of Little Round Top is 
one of the most beautiful and attractive 
pic-nic grounds. Here are gathered peo- 
ple from a distance, who have come to 
this place to renew their devotion to the 
cause for which the heroes who sleep in 
the cemetery upon that hill offered up 
their lives. In the pavillion, which is 
situated upon the ground over which 
brave men moved to charge upon the foe 
down in yonder fields,the voice of thanks- 
giving and prayer is heard. Christain 
ministers are telling of the deeds of heroism 
wrought upon this field, and deducing 
lessons of instruction therefrom. Ascend- 
ing to the brow of the hill, but a little dis- 
tance away, we see tablets marking the 
places where this and that regiment 
fought, and where Vincent and Weed and 
Hazlitt and O'Rouke fell. In those fields 
and amongst those boulders below you, 
within a space scarcely a mile square, 
fifty thousand men, like two mighty 
giants, wrestled for victory. That enclosed 
field to your right— the first beyond that 
open space, and south of that lane which 
runs westwardly— is the historic "Wheat 
Field," and a half mile further west, 
where the lane intersects the Emmitts- 
burg road, is that other historic place, the 
"Peach Orchard." In these two places 
the battle raged most furiously, and the 
ground was covered with the slain. Now 
the growing crops have obliterated every 
trace of the mighty conflict. Along that 
lane, in the Wheat Field, and among 
those boulders east and south of it, tablets 
mark the places where heroes yielded up 
their lives that their country might live. 
Chief among these are General Zook, Col. 
Taylor, of the Bucktail Regiment, and 



Col. Ellis, of the 124th New York. 
Around the noble monument to the latter 
are gathered a few survivors of his regi- 
ment, who have come from their homes to 
dedicate this memento to their fallen 
chieftain, upon thetwenty-firstanniversa- 
ry of his death. Upon the ground where 
they are gathered to listen to a masterly 
oration by General Woodford, of New 
York, twentyoneyearsago;on this day they 
stood and fought. In that sunken place 
in the ground, where that board is plant- 
ed, their comrades who fell on that day 
were interred. Their bodies have since, 
been removed and re-interred, either 
among their comrades upon Cemetery 
Hill, or in iliu distant cemeteries of their 
former homes. All along the Avenue, 
which runs along the Union line, tabletsare 
placed which mark where Corps, Divisions, 
Brigades and Regiments stood, and where 
distinguished men fell. That board by 
the fence designates the place where Sedg- 
wick of the 6th Corps and Warren of the 
5th, had their headquarters during the 
terrible strife. There consultations were 
had and measures taken to check the 
assaults of the foe, who were pressing our 
men back from the Peach Orchard almost 
to the place where they stood. East Ceme- 
tery Hill and Culp's Hill yet show the 
marks of the strife in the breastworks and 
cannon which still remain. But it is in 
the National Cemetery where the greatest 
interest centres. Here are gathered the 
heroes from the whole field. That monu- 
ment which rears its top above the sur- 
rounding trees, stands upon the spot where 
Lincoln stood when he delivered his 
memorable dedicatory address. And that 
bronze statue near by the entrance is for 
Reynolds, who fell about a mile to the 
west, in the grove behind the Seminary. 
But it is all hallowed ground. Although 
in extent covering twenty-five square 
miles, it is all hallowed by patriot blood. 
Upon it the destiny of the Nation was 
decided. It is the Nation's shrine, and to 
it lovers of liberty will continue to come 
while the Republic lasts, and the heroic 
dead who lie there will be the Nation's 

care. 

" "Lis holy ground— 
This spot, where, in their graves. 
Are placed our country's braves. 
Who lell in Freedom's holy cause, 
Fightinjr tor liberties and laws ; 
Let tears abound. 

Here where they lell, 
Oft shall the widow's tears be shed, 
Oft shall loud parents mourn their dead ; 
The orphan here shall kneel and weep. 
And maidens, where their lovers sleep. 

Their woes to tell. 

Here let them rest : 
And summer's heat and winter's cold 
Shall glow and freeze above their mould— 
A thousand years shall pass away— 
A nation stiU shall mourn their clay, 

Which now is blest." 



Reminiscences of the War. 



177 



APPENDIX. 



Since the publication of these reminis- 
cences of tlie war upon our border, facts 
and incidents have been brought to my no- 
tice which I place upon record in this ap- 
pendix. Additional information has also 
been received in regard to some incidents 
already published, which add to their de- 
tail and interest. These I aii-o give here. 
In a few instances I find by additional 
data subsequently received, that I erred 
in fixing dales. These corrections are also 
given. Historical accuracy being all im- 
portant in this record, I have availed my- 
self of all possible means of correct infor- 
mation, and I can assure the reader of the 
entire reliability of the facts and dates 
given. In a contemplated revision of this 
"Work, which was somewhat hastily writ- 
ten, these additional incidents and modifi- 
cations will appear in their respective and 
appropriate places. 

CHAPTER I. 

On page 8 reference is made to a meet- 
ing of our citizens in the Court House 
upon the evening of Thursday, April 18th, 
immediately upon the breaking out of the 
war, to take into consideration the condi- 
tion of the country, and toexpress their ap- 
preciation of and sympathy for the Cham- 
l)ers Artillery — the first troops from Frank- 
lin county to respond to the call of Presi- 
dent Tiincoln, who were, on the following 
morning, to proceed to Harrisburg. The 
proceedings of that meeting were given 
and reference made to the resolutions it 
passed. The following are those resolu- 
tions : 

KESOLrTioxs offered by I. W. IMcCauloy, 
Esq., at the town moetiiig held on Thursday 
(ivening last. 

WHEIIKA.S. A band of traitorovvs s]nrits, re- 
gardless of their allegiance to tlie country of 
their birth, have for years past becni ])lotting 
the dismenibernient of our glorious confijdcra- 
ey, the hope of struggling Freedom thrntigliout 
th<! World, and the asylumof the oppressed and 
down-trodden of all Nations : 

And Whcrcait, Tlieir hellish efl'orts have re- 
sulted in inducing the j)eopie of seven of the 
Soutlu^rn States of our ("onfedercy to ihic^lare 
that they will no longer continue under the 



same Government, under the title of the "Con- 
federate States of North America," which Gov- 
ernment has stolen the treasure, seized the 
fortresses and taken ])oss(>ssion of the National 
^'essels, Arms and Munitions of War belong- 
ing to tii(! Union, and placed in their midst for 
the defense of our common country : 

Arul Whereas, The said "Confederate and Re- 
bel" Government, without .just cause, has mar- 
shalled its armies and treasonably made war 
upon the Government of the Union, by attack- 
ing an unoffending but aallant soldier and ser- 
vant of his country, Major Robert Anderson, 
and his forlorn hojie of seventy noble rank and 
rtle, and by the aid of starvation and exhaus- 
tion has caused him to surrender his post, 
though not without honor to himself and those 
who so faithfully stood by his side, but yet to 
the great chagrin of all true lovers of the Con- 
stitution and Laws. 

And Whereast, The Arch Traitor of them all 
— the Benedict Arnold of the South — Jefferson 
Davis — the President of the so-called "Confed- 
erate States," has boldly and openly threaten- 
ed to march upon the Capitol of our country at 
the head of 25,000 men, and drive out the Con- 
stitutional Authorities of the land and seat 
himself in the mansion and Chair of State, 
sanctitied by those noble Executives who have 
presided in past times over the destinies of the 
l^epublic. 

And Whereas, The President of the United 
States of America, in view of these iindenia- 
ble faints, in view of the hostile attitude of the 
said "Confederate States" towards Fort Pick- 
ens and the other National Stations South, and 
in view of the wide-spread treasonable senti- 
ments that surround the city of Washington, 
has called upon tlu; sohliery of the nation, who 
are faithful to their country, witliout respect to 
])arty feelings or predilections, to the number of 
75,000 to rally in defense of the Constitution 
and the Laws. Therefore — 

Resolved, By the people of Chambersburg, in 
town meeting assembled, witliout resjiect to 
])arty, that we cordially endorse the ai'tion of 
our National Executive, believing that the late 
and present National Government has been 
forbeai-ins in th(! extreme towards those trait- 
erous spirits who have been plotting to over- 
turn our beloved and blood-cemented institu- 
tions, jiaralyze tho. arms of our national author- 
iti<(S, degrade tlie^Hag of our atfections, and del- 
uge the land of our nativity and adoption in 
the blood of its citizens. 

Iicsolvcd, That the time has come for all men 



178 



Reminiscences of the War. 



to sink the Partisan in the Patriot, to forego po- 
litical principles and party animosities, until 
the danger that threatens our national exist- 
ence is past, and to rally as one man, with one 
heart, one mind and one purposi', at the call of 
the constituted authorities of the land, for the 
maintenance of the Constitution and tlie Ldws 
as they now are. 

Resolved, That we cordially endorse the re- 
commendation ofour Executive and the prompt 
action of our Legislature, in placing the Old 
Keystone State on a jjroper war footing, as one 
of the surest and most certain means of "con- 
quering a peace," and restoring our lately hap- 
py land to prosperity. 

Resolved, That we hail, as one of the most 
unerring evidences that we have a government, 
and that that government possesses the confi- 
dence and affections of the people, the fact that 
the gallant soldiery of our noble State and the 
country generally, have so speedily and so 
cheerfully resjionded to the call of their Coun- 
try, in numbers far over the aggregate desired. 

Resolved, That our gallant and patriotic fel- 
low-citizens, the members of the Chambers 
Artillery and other Volunteers of our county, 
who on to-morrow's morn are to go out from our 
midst, and from their families and friends, at 
the call of their country, have our mo.st sin- 
cere, heartfelt wishes for their individual pres- 
ervation from death or grievous injury during 
their absence, and our ardent prayers that they 
may each and all be speedily i-estored to the 
arms of those who so patriotically jiart witli 
them at the call of duty. 

Resolved, That we hereby pledge to each one 
of these our friends, our sacred honors, that we 
will see that their wives and children, and 
whoever else is dependent upon them, shall not, 
during their absence, lack for anything tempo- 
ral that money and willing hearts can provide. 

During the great demand for flags im- 
mediately upon the breaking of tlie war, 
as stated upon page 7, the following occur- 
rence, related by Mr. A. N. Rankin, at 
that time editor and proprietor of the 
Franklin IteposUory , took place. The 
part the writer bore in tlie transaction is 
but imperfectly remembered. Mr. Ran- 
kin says : — "Immediately upon the break- 
ing out of tlie war the demanil for flags 
was so great that in order to procure one 
for tiie office of the Franklin Rejioai torif , 
of which 1 was, at tliat time, editor and 
proprietor. 1 directed Mr. Jacob Hoke, 
one of our dry goods merchants, to tele- 
grapli to Horstmans, of Philadelphia, to 
send one of tlieir best flags by express. 
Two days thereafter the flag arrived, but 
it proved to be entirely too large to be sus- 
pended upon the pole above the oflrtce, 
and it was hung from the upper windows 
and covered nearly tlie whole front of the 
three-storied building. Another flag of 
proper size was made for our flag-staff un- 
der the supervision of Mr. Hoke, and in a 
short time the large flag was folded up and 
put away. .Some montlis thereafter the 
seventy-seventh Pennsylvania Regiment 



was organized, when Capt. Samuel M. 
McDowell, a cousin of my wife, asked me 
to present the large flag to that Regiment, 
which was freely done. The Regiment 
was called to Harrisburg, and from there 
was sent to Pittsburg, and while in camp 
at or near that place, the formal accept- 
ance of the flag was forwarded to me of 
which the following, which appeared in 
the Bejiository ot October 23d, 1861, is a 
copy: 

Camp Wilkins, Oct. 10th, 18G1. 
A. N. Rankin, Esq., Dear Sir : — Allow me 
to return you the sincere thanks of my Regi- 
ment for the beautiful American Flag you were 
so kind to present to us. It is too large to be 
caraied into battle, but wherever the Seventy- 
Seventh encamps, it shall float proudly over 
our temporary phxce of repose. It will be our 
pride and pleasure to protect its graceful folds 
from harm. In behalf of my i-egiment, 1 again 
thank you for the elegant present. 

F. S. Stumbaugh, 
Col. Com. 77th Rer/t. Penn. Volunteers. 

Subsequently the 77th joined the Army 
of the Tennessee, and while in camp after 
the battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, 
Gen. Sherman seeing this flag, and hav- 
ing but a regimental flag for his own head- 
quarters, requested Col. Stumbaugh to ex- 
change with him which, by ray consent, 
obtained by telegraph, was done, and that 
flag was carried bv Gen. Sherman through- 
out all his campaigns. Thus it will be 
seen that Chambersburg contributed the 
flag which floated over Sherman's head- 
quarters wherever he led his triumph- 
ant hosts, which followed him in his 
grand march from Atlanta to the sea, 
and thence to North Carolina, where he 
received the surrender of Johnson, and 
from'thenceto Washington, where it is now 
stored amid the sacred relics of the ter- 
rible rebellion." 

CHAPTER II. 

In the roll of honor, page 10, Co. A., 
2nd Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, 
.5(1 ('orporal John ¥. Snyder should be J. 
Frank Snyder. Private Ed. E. Fair- 
weather should be F^d. E. Fairbrother. 

CHAPTER VI. 

The account given on page 22 and 23 of 
the ringing of the ("ourt House bell to give 
notice of the approach of the rebels, the 
declaration of Martial Law, and the erec- 
tion of breastworks and the planting of 
cannon about the Diamond, should be 
placed in Chapter XII, page 103, in con- 
nection with the excitement which occur- 
red upon the evening of Wednesday, July 
Oth, 1804, when Mc(!ausland's Cavalry ad- 
vanced from Hagerstown to near Green- 
castle, during Early's raid into Maryland. 



Reminiscences of the War. 



179 



For this iucident I had no written data, 
and fixed it from personal recollection ; 
but 1 subsequently found data for it in 
J)r. Hcbneck's Burning of Chanibcrsburg, 
\mge -lo, and also in the Franklin Eeiioni- 
toryoi July 13th, 1864. Martial Law was 
proclaimed by General Couch, then com- 
mander of this military district. Judge 
Kimmell was not Marshal at that time. 

In referring to the danger which threat- 
ened our border during Lee's invasion of 
Maryland and previous to the battle of 
Antfetam, in Chapter VI, I omitted to 
state that among the military prepara- 
tions made at this place was the mounting 
of what was known as the "•Anderson 
Cavalry." Horses were procured for these 
men in the following manner as stated by 
(Samuel Reisher, Esq., one of the old and 
well-known citizens of this place : 

Ohambeksbukg, July liGtb, 18S-1. 

Mb. J. Hoke, Sir : — It will he remembered 
by some tbat when the rebels were invading 
Maryland in Sept., 1862, Governor Curtin au- 
thorized William ^IcLellan, Esq., to publish a 
call to the jieople of the county for horses to 
mount the Anderson Cavalry, and also for oth- 
er usues during that threatening period. He 
was directed to say in that call that be would 
give certificates to all persons bringing in hors- 
es certifying to their value. After said horses 
were apijroved, forty cents per day for their use 
was to be allowed, and in case the horses re- 
ceived any injury, an additional sura was to be 
allowed to cover said damages ; and in case the 
horses were not returned to their respective 
owners they were to be paid for. As the far- 
mers at that time were busy preparing to put 
in their fall crops and had need of their horses, 
but few were brought in. As the danger in- 
creased and the necessity for horses became 
more pressing, the Governor directed and 
empowered me to impress all horses 
found fit for miliary puriwses. I imme- 
diately sent out press gangs of able and ju- 
dicious men into all parts of the county 
with instructions to take ail horses they could 
find for the service without respect to i)ersons 
or party. Among those sent were Messrs. F. 
A. Zarman, Jacob Hollinger and Sam'l ISIyers. 
These persons went out throughout the county 
and gathered the horses needed, mihitching 
them from wagons and ploughs, however press- 
ing the needs of their owners. The people saw 
the necessity for them and were generally sat- 
isfied, but many were unable for the want of 
them to prosecute their fall work. A certifi- 
cate signed by me was given for each horse ta- 
ken, in which its vahie was stated, and all were 
assured that in due time they would be paid 
for their use, as well as for any damage which 
might result to them, or their full value in case 
they were not returned. These horses had to 
be fed by us until delivered over to the milita- 
ry authorities, and this feed we had also to take 
from the people. Then followed the stripjiing 
of shops of saddles and bridles. These, like 
the horses and feed, we had to take wherever 
we found them. It was indeed a hard duty to 
perform, but the condition of our border seem- 



ed to recpiire it, and we did it under tlus au- 
thority of the Governor and his i)ledge that the 
State would make it all right. 

These horses, when delivered into the care of 
the troojiers, in some cases were traded oft" for 
others of less value, and money was received 
as the difterence by the men. When this fact 
was brought to tlie notice of General Reynolds, 
who had command liere, he isssued an order 
requiring every one of these horses to be brand- 
ed "U. S." so as to pi-event this trading. When 
the emergency under which this property was 
thus taken, had passed, some of these horses 
were returned to their respective owners, but 
some were in such a condition that they were 
of but little use. Many were never returned, 
and such also was the case with the saddles 
and bridles. 

After the property was ordered to be returned, 
Mr. D. O. Gehr and myself were appointed to 
hear and determine all claims, which was ac- 
cordingly doni!, and our report was sent to Gov- 
ernor Curtin wluire it was approved and i)laced 
in the archives of the State at Harrisburg. In 
some cases when the horses were returned to 
their owners, I was frequently called upon to 
relieve persons of difliculty for having horses in 
their possession bearing the brand of the gov- 
ernment. These ar.iests were made at both Car- 
lisle and Harrisburg when the owners fled to 
these places during subsevqent raids. And 
now, notwithstanding the a.ssurances given by 
the Governor, under whose authority we acted, 
these horses and the feed and saddles and bri- 
dles have never been paid for. It seems to me 
that our suffering people should be paid for 
their jn'opei-ty thus taken in a time of public 
need, and I feel the more interested in this matter 
for the reason that I was made tlie unwilling 
instrument of taking it. If not, I am yet 
young enough to inquire, for what use govern- 
ments are instituted. Hoping that the State 
will yet see its obligation to do ample justice 
in this matter, I suljscribe myself 
Yours, &c., 

Samuel, Reishee. 

CHAPTER VII. 

In giving the names of persons captur- 
ed and taken away by the rebels during 
Stuart's raid on page 32, I was led into er- 
ror by the information given me. Mr. G. 
G. Rupley who was one of the persons 
captured has given me the true account. 
Messrs. Perry A. Rice, Daniel Shaffer, C. 
Louderbaugh, G. C. Steiger, John Mc- 
Dowell, James Grove, Wm. Raby, Dr. 
Blair, and G. G. Rupley were taken at 
Mercersburg ; Joseph Winger at Clay 
Lick Hall, and William Conner at St. 
Thomas. Steiger made his escape near 
Bridgeport ; McDowell and Louderbaugh 
at Chamberssburg. Wm Raby and Dr. 
Blair escaped in Montgomery county, Md., 
before crossing the Potomac, and Rice, 
Shaffer, Conner, Winger, Grove and Rup- 
ley were taken to Richmond and incarce- 
rated in Libby prison. Winger and Rup- 
ley were paroled about the first of De- 
cember, 18(i2. Rice died in January or 



i8o 



Reminiscences of the War. 



February, 18(Jo, and (J rove, Hhaller aud 
(Juimer were excliauged in March, 18(33. 

CHAPTER VII r. 

In referring, on page o3, to John S. Oaks, 
who was wounded at the battle of Freder- 
icksburg aud afterwards died and his body 
brought here for burial, I omitted the 
names of others of our Franklin county 
soldiers who were killed and wounded in 
that battle, for the reason that space forbid 
me to give the names of all the gallant 
men from our county who fell in their 
country's service* I should have added 
as another victim of the battle of Freder- 
icksburg, who was brought here for burial, 
D. Augustus Houser. He, too, was a 
member of Capt. John Dwbler's company, 
aud received his wound in the same battle 
and while in the act of tying up the wound 
of Capt. Dcobler. His body was brought 
to this place and interred the dayafter the 
funeral of John S. Oaks. 

On page 31 mention is made of the ex- 
citement in the town upon the reception, 
in the evening of Hunday, June 14th, of 
the news of the disaster to our forces at 
Winchester and the probable appearance 
of the rebels in our midst, aud the packing 
and sending away and secreting ot mer- 
chandize and other valuables. Mr. John 
F. Glosser, who was then an assistant in 
the office of the Prothonotai'y of the coun- 
ty, quoting from his diary of events of 
that time, says: "Saturday evening, June 
13th, 1863, our town was thrown into great 
commotion occasioned by a rumor that 
the rebels were coming. Matters (luieted 
down however until the following Sunday 
evening (Uth) when I was summoned to 
the oflice (Prothonotary) to aid in packing 
the records preparatory to shipping them 
ofl" to a point of safety. Finished our 
work about 2 o'clock Monday morning. 
During this day our merchants were busy 
packing and shipping off their goods. 

On page 391 speak of an engagement in 
McConnellsburg between what I suppos- 
ed was a detatchment from Jenkins' force 
and a company of the 1st New York Cav- 
alry under Capt. Jones. I have since 
learned that that engagement was not 
with Jenkins' men, but a part of Imbo- 
den's force and occurred several days after 
the visit to McConnellsburg ot a detach- 
ment from Jenkins. The detachment 
which Jenkins sent into Fulton county 
consisted of about two hundred and fifty 
men and was under command of Col. 
Furguson. It was detached from his 
main force after he fell back from Cham- 
bersburg to below Greencastle on Wednes- 
day, June 17th. This was the first rebel 
force that visited McConnellsburg during 
the war, and it was the same which cap- 
tured ex-sheriff Taylor's cattle, which 



were grazing in a field about two miles 
north of Mct'onnellsburg. Tliey also suc- 
ceeded in taking away about eighty valua- 
ble horses from the town and immediate 
neighborhood which, with the cattle, 
were delivered to lihodes' infantry at 
Greencastle the week following. 

For the following additional facts 1 am 
indebted to W. Scott Alexander, Esq., an 
attorney, resident in McConnellsburg, 
who gathered the facts he has communi- 
cated from some of the older inhabitants 
of the place. During the week before the 
battle of Gettysburg, from Wednesday 
until Saturday, General Imboden's force, 
which entered the valley at Hancock, 
plundered the whole lower end of the val- 
ley. They penetrated it as far as Webster 
Mills, and then crossed the mountain by 
Hunter's road to the Gap. While in the 
Cove they took everything that came in 
their way that they could in any way use, 
and afterward destroyed what they could 
not take along. The farmers lost nearly 
all their stock, and Robinson's store at 
Big Cove Tannery and Patterson's at 
Webster Mills, were completely stripped 
ot their contents. In many cases houses 
were entered and private property taken. 

On Sunday, June 28th, a company of 
the 12th Pennsylvania cavalry was sur- 
prised on the east side of the Cove moun- 
tain, and several of their number captur- 
ed tiy a detachment of Imboden's men. 
In the afternoon of the same day u com- 
pany of Imboden's force, thought to have 
been the same that had the skirmish in 
the morning with these Penusylvanians, 
dashed into McConnellsburg. Finding no 
Federal soldiers there they did not dis- 
mount but returned by the way they came, 
in the direction of Mercersburg. 

The engagement which occurred in Mc- 
Connellsburg was on Monday, 20th, and 
was as follows : Early on Monday morn- 
ing Capt. Jones with Co. A, 1st New 
York cavalry, entered the town from 
Everett or Bloody Run. Shortly after- 
wards a company of newly organized 
militia cavalry arrived from Mount Union. 
Capt. Jones's men had dismounted and 
were in the vicinity of the "•Fulton 
House," while Capt. Jones himself was in 
the hotel. The militia were in the neigh- 
borhood of the Court House, but before 
they had dismounted some of Jones' 
scouts came dashing into town and report- 
ed the approach of a rebel force along the 
Mercersburg road. Jones inquired of his 
scouts concerning their number and when 
informed that they did not exceed seven- 
ty-five men— double the number of his 
own force — declared his intention to fight 
them. He at once ordered his men, who 
were nearly all Irishmen and fond of a 
fight, to examine their arms and then fall 



Reminiscences of the War. 



i8i 



iuto liue. The uieii exiituiueil their pis- 
tols and theu stuck them iuto their boots. 
He then consulted with the commander 
of the militia, and the part assigned them 
was to remain in the cross street until the 
rebels were drawn down opposite to them, 
when they were to make some demonstra- 
tion merely to frighten the foe by the 
show of their numbers, leaving whatever 
fighting was to be done to him and his 
command. Jones then hastily formed his 
men in line — but 38 in all — he taking the 
rear, and as the rebels approached the 
town by the east and showed themselves 
in the street in the upper end of the town, 
he leisurely fell back to the lower or west 
end. When he had drawn the foe to the 
Fulton House Captain Irvine, who was in 
command of the rebels, ordered them to 
charge, but this order was not obeyed. 
But about the time this command was 
given, a member of the militia cavalry 
ventured down to the main street to take 
a look atthe situation, and when he reach- 
ed the corner, about one hundred feet 
from the head of the rebel column, his 
sudden appearance caused Capt. Irvine to 
suppose tliat Jones's retreat was intended 
to lead him further into the town, so that 
the force in the cross street could come in 
on his rear and cut of!" his retreat. In- 
stead, then, of charging as ordered, the 
rebels, without orders, suddenly wheeled 
about and made a hasty retreat. As soon 
as they had turned, Capt. Jones ordered 
his men to "Right about face — charge." 
But as soon as the member of the militia 
company notified his associates of the ap- 
j)roach of the foe, the entire company 
broke ranks and made a more hasty retreat 
than did the rebels. Reports say that 
they did not stop until they reached Burnt 
t'abins, VI miles distant. Capt. Jones, 
however, followed up the rebels and com- 
menced firing before they got out of the 
town. He continued the pursuit for about 
one mile east of the town when the great- 
er part of the rebels surrendered, not how- 
ever, until two of their number had been 
killed and one or two wounded. Jones 
captured '.VI men and o:> horses. A few of 
the rebels having fast horses escaped. 
Jones had but one man wounded. When 
they returned to McConnellsburg the citi- 
zens seeing about as many rebels as Fed- 
erals did not at first know who had been 
victorious— whether the rebels liad cap- 
tured Jones, or Jones the Confederates. 
The prisoners were at once taken westward 
to Everett. The rebel killed were put in 
coffins by the citizens, and in the after- 
noon of the same day were interred near 
the place where they fell. While the in- 
terrment was taking place a rebel force of 
cavalry came down the Mercersburg pike, 
while a similar force, which had crossed 



the mountain six miles down the valley 
by Hunter's road, and crossed the valley, 
entered tlie pike about a mile west of the 
town. Thus the town was surrounded 
and again in possession of the foe, but 
Jones with his booty was not there. The 
entire rebel force numbered about 4U(J 
men, and belonged to Imboden's com- 
mand. They had with them three pieces 
of artillery, which they planted at the 
east end of the town. Expecting to find 
Union soldiers, arms, &c., secreted in the 
houses, a search was made, but failing to 
find anything they left about dark towards 
the Cove Gap. This engagement should 
be transferred from page 39 to page 67, and 
recorded among the occurrences of Mon- 
day, June 29th. 

On page 39 reference is made to Jenkins' 
cavalry after it fell back from this place to 
below Greencastle, where, during the in- 
tervening few days before it again advan- 
ced at the head of Rhodes' division of in- 
fantry, it was dtvided into squads, which 
scoured the whole southern part of the 
county plundering and robbing the people. 
On Sunday, June 21st, that party of about 
two hundred and fifty men under Col. Fur- 
guson, who had visited McConnellsburg, 
in Fulton county, robbing and plundering 
the people there, entered Greencastle and 
pillaged that place. The Pilot of July 
2Sth, 1SG3, says that on that day a system- 
atic pillage was made. "In some stores a 
great quantity of goods were destroyed. 
The order given by an artillery captain, 
in front of Messrs. S. H. Prather & Co.'s 
store, was to 'dismount and ransack the 
store.' Mr. Reilly's store had, a day or 
two previously, suffered heavily by these 
men. The losses it is impossible now to 
state. If it had not been that our mer- 
chants had a portion of their stock sent 
East, there would have been a clean 
sweep made. ]Maj. Paxton took possession 
of the warehouses and loaded the Confed- 
erate States' wagons with flour and grain, 
&c." 

CHAPTER IX. 

In further confirmation of the correct- 
ness of the estimate of the number of Lee's 
army, which invaded our State, as given 
on page 41, the following additional testi- 
mony is given : Mr, William A. Reid, of 
Greencastle, in an article contributed by 
him to the Pilot of that place, in its issue 
of July 28th, 18G3, says : "The Rebel force 
that passed through town (Greencastle) 
has been estimated at about 50,000 or 
60,000 men, accompanied by 192 pieces of 
ordnance. The force that went by way 
of Waynesboro', it is said, numbered be- 
tween 20,000 and 30,000, maKing a total 
force of about 90,000 or 100,000." The 
only force which passed by tbe way of 



l82 



Reminiscences of the War. 



Waynesboro' was Early's Division, wbich 
ilid not exceed 8,000 men. Mr. Jolm F. 
Glosser, at the time of tlie war a resident 
of tliis place, but now of Philadelphia, 
from a diary written at the time, furnish- 
es the following estimates : E well's Corps 
15,000 men, infantry, artillery and caval- 
ry, with 00 pieces of artillery and about 
1,000 wagons; A. P. Hill's Corps the 
same ; Ijongstreet's Corps 20,000 men, 80 
pieces of artillery and over 1,000 wagons. 
"The entire army," he says, "did not 
number over 48,000 or 50,000 men — Infan- 
try, Cavalry and Artillery, 200 pieces of 
artillery and 8,000 wagons." Add to the 
50,000 which the Franklin lieposUorij^ 
Greencastle Pilots and Mr. John F. Glos- 
ser say passed through Greencastle and 
this place, Early's 8,000 which passed by 
way of Waynesboro' and Crreeuwood, and 
Gen. Stuart's cavalry, 12,000 to 18,000, 
who passed around east of the llnion 
army, and we have a total of 70,000 or 71 ,000 
as claimed by the Confederate authorities. 
Add to this immense host the three 
thousand wagons and 200 pieces ol artillery 
with their caissons and forges, as stated by 
Mr. Glosser from notes made by himself at 
the time, and the droves of cattle and oth- 
er plunder taken along the way, and we 
have confirmation of the estimate of the 
probable length of the whole Rebel column 
as stated on page 54. 

Reference is made on page 45 to the fact 
that Stuart's brigade of Rhodes' division 
of Ewell's Corps was, on the morning of 
Wednesday, June 24th, at Greencastle, de- 
tached from the main column on its way 
to this place, and sent westward through 
Mercersburg to McConnellsburg. This 
brigade consisted of about 2,500 infantry 
and 800 cavalry, and was under command 
of General Stuart. Its object in crossing 
the mountain was to look after that part 
of Milroy's force, which had escaped from 
Winchester and crossed the Potomac at 
and above Hancock. They reached Mer- 
cersburg about the middle of the day, and 
at once made themselves at home. 
Learning that a theological Seminary was 
located there. General Stuart placed a 
guard around the property for its protec- 
tion. The soldiers were forbidden to enter 
either the Seminary or private houses 
underpenalty of severe punishment. The 
stores were ordered to be opened, and the 
soldiers permitted to purchase whatever 
they needed. To their credit be it said 
that everything was in an orderly man- 
ner. No pillaging was permitted. What 
they took was taken by officers who made 
out bills and paid in Confederate scrip. 
Major Goldsboro, of Baltimore, was Pro- 
vost Marshal. He was afterwards killed 
at the battle of Gettysburg. 
This force reached McConnellsburg 



shortly after dark on the eveniug of this 
same day. When about half a mile east 
of the town, they formed in line of battle, 
and the cavalry dashed into the town on a 
charge, expecting to find Milroy's force, 
but in this were mistaken, as the small 
force which had been there during the 
day had moved westward before dark, 
after having had a slight skirmish with 
the advance of the rebels at the top of the 
Cove mountain. As soon as the infantry 
entered the town it was placed under 
guard and the citizens ordered to remain 
in their houses. A few, however, who 
were anxious to see what was going on, 
ventured out into the streets, and were ar- 
rested and placed under guard until the 
next morning. The invaders disturbed 
nothing during the night, but in the 
morning they entered the stores and shops 
and helped themselves to whatever they 
wanted, and in some cases, it is said, 
offered Confederate scrip in payment for 
what they had taken. About one-third of 
the cavalry went north, up the valley as 
far as the Burnt Cabins, gathering a great 
many horses from the farmers along the 
way, and picking up others that had been 
sent to that valley from Franklin county. 
From Burnt Cabins they crossed to Fan- 
nettsburgand thence on to Chambersburg, 
or joined the rebel forces somewhere in 
Franklin county. The infantry and; the 
remainder of the cavalry remained in the 
vicinity of McConnellsburg until early on 
Friday morning when they finally left, 
crossingthe mountain and passing through 
Loudon and St. Thomas and rejoining the 
main column at Chambersburg. 

Rev. B. Bausm^n, D. D., at the time of 
the war a resident of our town, in an arti- 
cle ill the Guardian of Sept., 1874, of 
which he was editor, says that in the ab- 
sence of the Town Council, who had near- 
ly all left town upon the approach of Lee's 
invading army, a meeting of some six or 
eight of our leading citizens, with the res- 
ident pastors of the place who had not fol- 
lowed the example of the town fathers in 
putting themselves beyond the reach of 
the dreaded foe, was held in the Cashier's 
office in the Bank, about 11 o'clock on 
Monday night, June 22d, to decide upon 
some course to be jjursued when the ex- 
pected demand for the surrender of the 
town would be made. At this meeting it 
was decided that in the absence of the pro- 
per authorities, the pastors should serve as 
the representatives of the town and make 
such terms with the rebels as they thought 
best. Rev. B. S. Schneck, D. D., was 
constituted president of this committee. 
On Wednesday following, 24th, this cleri- 
cal committee found it necessary to call to 
its assistance some eight or ten of our bus-^ 
iness men. The town was taken posses- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



1^3 



sion of, but its surrender was not asked 
for. But when the heads of the Commis- 
sary and Quartermaster's departments 
laid in their requisitions for a large 
amount of stores, among the rest for twen- 
ty-five barrels ofsour kraut, this committee 
found it necessary to call to their aid a 
number of the business men. This trans- 
action is referred to on page 48. 

When writing the account of the skir- 
mish between a small body of Federal 
cavalry and Jenkin's force and the ad- 
vance of Rhode's infantry, which occur- 
red on Monday, 22d,a short distance north 
of Greencastle, which is found on page 45. 
I was not certain whether thatengagement 
or the one spoken of on page 3D which oc- 
curred in McConnellsburg, was the first 
battle of the rebellion on Pennsylvania 
soil, I have since learned by undoubted 
authority that the battle in McConnells- 
burg occurred on Monday, June 29, one 
week later than the engagement near 
Greencastle. The engagement then near 
Greencastle was clearly the first one of the 
war upon the soil of our State. In my 
former account of this battle I stated that 
the Union force engaged was a company 
of the 1st New York cavalry, commanded 
by Capt. Jones — the same who fought the 
rebels atMcConnellsburg. Hubsequentin- 
formation has shown me that that compa- 
ny was commanded by Captain, and after- 
wards. Col. Boyd. The 1st New York 
cavalry, like the other Federal forces en- 
gaged in the disaster at Winchester under 
Gen. Milroy, on Saturday and Sunday, 
June loth and 14th, were scattered. Part 
of this regiment escaped into Pennsylva- 
nia at Hancock and fled to Fverett, or 
Bloody Hun, in Bedford county. Captain 
Jones' company was among these, and he 
advanced eastwardly to the neighborhood 
of McConnellsburg, giving the rebels 
much trouble, and subsequently crossed 
the mountain and cut ofl part of the great 
wagon train of wounded from (Gettysburg 
as related elsewhere. One company of this 
same regiment— company (J, commanded 
by Capt. Boyd — covered the retreat of the 
wagon , train, which escaped from Win- 
chester and dashed through our town on 
Monday, 15th, as related o\\ page ;>4. It 
was this company, not the one command- 
ed by Capt. Jones, which engaged the reb- 
els near Greencastle. The Union force 
consisted of forty-three men, and the en- 
gagement occurred between 12 and 1 
o'clock in the middle of the day. Mr. D. 
G. Shook, who investigated this matter 
for me, consulting some of the older citi- 
zens, says that a portion of Rhodes' in- 
fantry, in connection with Jenkins' cav- 
alry, was engaged in the fight. The in- 
fantry were concealed in a wheat field. 



and fired upon the Federal cavalry when 
it had been drawn within their range. 
Mr. Reid,in an article in the -P/Yo^of July 
2Sth, 1863, says two rebels were killed in 
this engagement. Sergeant Rhile, who 
was killed was interred by the rebels in a 
shallow grave, having been first stripped 
of hat, shoes and coat buttons. A few 
days afterwards he was disinterred by the 
citizens of Greencastle. placed in a neat 
coffin, and, accompanied by a large con- 
course of citzens, was buried in the Luth- 
eran graveyard of that place. Sergeant 
Caflerty, who was wounded in the leg, 
was taken to the residence of Mr. George 
Ilginfritz, where his wounds were dressed 
and where he received the kind attentions 
of the family and citizens. Dr. Carl, one 
of Greencastle's most eminent physicians 
attended him. 

On this same day, Monday 22d, General 
Rhodes' Division encamped in the vicini- 
ty of the town (Greencastle) in a field be- 
longing to Rev. J. Loose. Col. Willis, of 
the 12th Georgia regiment, was appointed 
Provost Marshal. Assisted by Captain Car- 
son and the Adjutant, with a detail of 
men from his regiment, the Colonel main- 
tained excellent order throughout the 
town. 

To the occurrences of Tuesday, 23d, as 
given on pages 40 and 47, the following 
should be added. Requisitions were made 
upon Greencastle by Ewell's corps,, which 
remained over this day at that place, as 
follows : 

Headquarters 2i) Army Corps, \ 
June 23(1, 1863. S 

To the AuthorUies of G'recjicastle : 
By tlireotion of Lieut. CJeueral R. S. Ewell, 
I niak(^ r('(iuisilion for tlie followhig articles : 
100 saddle.s and bridhis. 
12 ]n.stols. 

Those articles are to be furnished at 2 o'clock 
P. M. 

J. A. Harmon, 
^foJ. anil (J. M. 3a Corps <lc Annie. 

Following this requisition came anoth- 
er for onions, sourkraut, potatoes, radish- 
es, etc., signed by A. M. Mitchell, Maj. 
and Ch. Com. Then another demanding 

2000 iiounds of lead. 

1000 " " h^atlier. 

100 pistoKs. 

12 boxes of tin. 

200 curry combs and brushes. 

Signed, Wm. Allen, M. and C. 

The chief of the Topographical Engi- 
neers also demanded two maps of Frank- 
lin county. 

These demands were so heavy that the 
Council felt it impossible to fill them, and 
no eff"ort was accordingly made. The rebels 
however, secured some saddles and bri- 
dles, and about $2,(i(iO worth of leather 
from Mr. A. Stiflel. 



1 84 



Remhiiscenccs of the War 



On pages 46 and 47,1 give the time of the 
entrance of the rebel infantry into our 
town as Tuesday -od. I there stated tliat 
tliis was a disputed point, and 1 decided 
upon tliat day because of the weight of 
evidence in favor of it. That decision was 
against my own written record made at 
the time, which placed it on Wednesday, 
iJ4th. Additional evidence since received, 
clearly proves that the latter date is cor- 
rect. That additional evidence is as fol- 
lows : Mr. Wm. A. Reed, in his article 
contributed to the Greencastle Pilot of 
July2Sth, 186?., says that "Gen. Rhodes' 
Division left here, (Greencastle), and 
marched direct to Chambersburg." In an- 
other place he says, ''On the :^4th, Gener- 
al Ewell passed through town in a car- 
riage, and was engaged in closely exam- 
ining a map." 

Mr. David Z. Shook, another resident of 
Greencastle who, at my request, specially 
investigated this matter, says, "Rhodes' 
Division left Greencastle early in the 
morning of Wednesday, June 24th." 

Mr. John F. Glosser, quoting from a re- 
cord made at the time by himself, says, 
"Wednesday morning, the 24th, the army 
commenced their entry in the following 
order: Lieutenant General Ewell's Grand 
Division, or Corps, (Jackson's old corps) 
headed by General Rhodes' Division." 
The entrance of Jenkins' cavalry, he 
previously placed on Tuesday. I have no 
hesitation in placing the first entrance 
of the rebel infantry into our town 
on Wednesday 24th, instead of Tues- 
day 23d, as published on pages 46 and 
47. The weight of evidence is so de- 
cided that it cannot be doubted. Besides 
this day coincides with the time fixed in 
my own record, made at the time and with 
great care, and also with my own recollec- 
tion. The references made of the entrance 
of Ewell's men on Tuesday by the Frank- 
Un Repository and Professor Jacobs in his 
Battle of Gettysburg, must be to Jenkins' 
cavalry, which, at that time, formed part 
of Ewell's corps. 

In further evidence of the ludicrous con- 
duct of the New York soldiers in fleeing 
from their position half mile south of 
town on Monday, June 22d, at the rumor- 
ed approach of the rebels, as given on 
page 46, the following statement by Mr. 
Solomon D. Swert, who was an eye wit- 
ness of what he relates, is given : 

Mb. J. Hoke, Dear Sir: — According to 
promise, I give the following concerning the 
inglorious retreat of the New York militia, 
which came here during' th<! war as upon a hol- 
(lay excursion. Ui)on Sunday, J nne 21st, ISGli, 
a regiment of New York soldiers reached our 
town and after a short rest in the Diamomi, 
proceeded to th<! woods of the hxte Mr. IMesser- 
smith, about half a mile south of the town. 



On the following day, Monday 22, when a ru- 
mor readied tlie camp that the rebels wvxg 
coming, tliese soldiers hastily gatliered their 
camp equipage together in a large pile near the 
raih-oad. After doing this they left it and went 
pell-mell to town and down to tlie depot, tak- 
in<T nothing with them but tlie clothes they had 
on and their muskets. The two liowitzers be- 
lono'ing to this regiment were left behind in their 
panic, but they were hauled to town by our 
home guard and delivered to their owners at- 
the depot. 

But what 1 wish more particularly to bring 
to notice is the cowardly conduct of the Colo- 
nel of the regiment. This officer came up the 
railroad from the camp, and instead of turning 
off at the W.aynesboro' crossing and coming 
through town by second sti'eet, kept on by the 
railroad. Passing along the track his horse 
fell into a cattle-guard, and the Colonel, failing 
to get him out as quickly as he desired, drew 
his pistol and shot him in tlie head. I mys<4f 
and two or three citizens passing along sliortly 
after, saw tlie horse. He was .a noble animal. 
Whether the Colonel stopped long enough to 
take oft" the saddle and bridle, I cannot say, 
but it is altogether likely that some person got a 
first-rate saddle and bridle cheap. The V6\o- 
nel either walked or ran from where he shot 
his horse to the depot, where they tool?; the 
train and got safely to Shippeusbui-g. INIean- 
while many persons helped themselves to what 
they pleased of clothing and other articles left 
at tlie camji, all of which was new and good. 
Mr. Abram Metz in the goodness of his heart 
loaded a one-horse wagon full of xmntaloons, 
blouses, blankets, buckets, camp kettles, pis- 
tols, etc., which he hauled after the i^anic- 
stricken party, which lay over at Shippensburg, 
where he delivered them to their owners. Upon 
returning, when near Chambersburg, he encoun- 
tered the advance of the rebels who relieved 
him of his hoi-se. This he got for his services, 
and our brave defenders got safely back to New 
York without the loss of a man. 

On page 45 I speak of General Early's 
movement to the east through Gettysburg 
to York. Upon reaching Gettysburg on 
Friday 26th, he issued the following re- 
quisition upon the town, viz, for 60 barrels 
of flour; 7,000 tt>s. of pork or bacon; 
1,200 it)s. of sugar; 100 tlis. coltee ; 1,000 
Itis. salt ; 40 bushels of onions ; 1,000 pairs 
of shoes ; 500 hats ; or $10,000 in money. 

To this demand the Town Council, 
through its President, Mr. D. Kendlehart, 
made the following reply: 

Gettysrurg, June 2Gth, 18G3. 
General Early, Sir : — The authorities of 
the borough of Gettysburg, in answer to the 
demand made by you upon the said borough 
and county, say that their authority extends 
but to the borough and that the requisition asked 
for cannot be given, liecause it is utterly im- 
possible to eom]ily. The quantities required 
are far beyond that in our possession. In com- 
pliance, however, to the demands we will re- 
quest the stores to be opened and the citizens to 
furnish whatever they can of such provisions, 



Reminiscences of the War. 



185 



&c., as may be asked. Further we cannot 
promise. 

By authority of the council of the borough of 
Gettysburg, I hereunto, as President of said 
Boai'd, attach my name. 

D. Kendlkhakt. 

General Early received orders that ev- 
ening to proceed to York, and the requisi- 
tion was not further pressed. 

On page 57 I say the only instance in 
which armed resistance to marauding par- 
ties of rebels during the invasion, was 
made was by the inhabitants of Horse 
Valley at the Strasburg pass. The follow- 
ing additional case has been brought to my 
notice by Mr. Christian H. Deck. Mr. 
Deck says : Every nook and corner from 
Mercersburg to Newburg, along the entire 
mountain, was searched by the rebels and 
many horses were captured and taken 
away, with one exception, and that was at 
Keeffer's Gap. Mr. Christian Deck, the 
father of the informant, at that time lived 
on what is known as the Keefer farm in 
Hamilton township, Franklin county, 
and close to the gap where the old path 
crosses the mountain to Horse Valley. 
Mr. Deck conceived the plan of put- 
ting his horses at a good place in the 
mountain, and to get as many of his neigh- 
bors as possible to join and have a regular 
camp and to organize a band of men to 
protect the horses. Accordingly several 
tents were erected and all who would were 
invited to join. About twenty or twenty- 
ftve persons responded, among whom were 
the followine:, being all Mr. Deck can re- 
member. William Finney, Abraham 
Weaver, George Weaver, Henry Clay 
Keefer, Franklin Deck, Augustus Deck, 
Jonas Keefer, Harry Deck, Daniel Heck- 
man, Jacob Pugh, John Bossart, Jerome 
Keefer, David Timmons, Emanuel Wea- 
ver, Frederick Golden and John Weaver. 
Some of these at that time were but boys, 
but they shouldered their guns and went 
into camp to protect the property of their 
parents and neighbors. From one hun- 
dred to one hundred and twenty-five hors- 
es were taken there, belonging to the fol- 
lowing named persons and others whose 
names have escaped Mr. Deck : Christian 
Deck, Henry Keefer, AVilliam Bossart, 
Daniel Hull, John Heckman, Daniel 
Kunkle, Henry Allen, JohnGelwix, Geo. 
Brake, Henry Treper, William Melhorn 
and Frederick Deck. The persons first 
named were all well armed with their 
trusty guns and revolvers. Some fifteen 
or twenty were kept on duty continually 
while the rest attended to the horses and 
brought in supplies, mostly from Mr. 
Deck's whose farm was the nearest at 
hand. The roads and paths were guarded 
and when a suspicious person would come 
along, two of the guards would take him 



in charge, escort him to the top of the 
mountain, and with orders not to be seen 
around there anymore again would be let 
go. Mr. Deck advised that about every 
five minutes a gun should be discharged. 
Accordingly a continual booming was kept 
up, and while every other gap in the 
mountain was visited by the rebels, and 
horses taken, not a visit was made to this 
gap nor a horse taken. 

To show what dread the rebels had of 
being bushwacked the following incident 
is to the point. Many rebels were almost 
continually passing within about a mile of 
this camp, but none ventured to the gap. 
One day a party inquired of a farmer 
if there were not horses in tlie gap? 
"Yes," he replied, "come and I will show 
you." Just then bang went a gun, at 
which one of them said, "Oh, you can't 
fool us," and away they rode, remarking, 

"There, the d d Yankees have killed 

another rebel. "^ On another occasion five 
rebels ventured as near as Mr. Deck's res- 
idence. It happened just as they came up 
the road that Daniel Heckman, one of the 
scouts, was at Mr. Deck's and another 
scout about two hundred yards from the 
house. Mr. Heckman at once made a 
dash towards the camp, but the rebels saw 
him as he ran in an opposite direction to 
escape from them. One of the rebels dis- 
mounted and laid his carbine on the fence 
and taking aim fired. The ball went hiss- 
ing close to Mr. Heck man's head. Three 
others then dashed after him, but by that 
time he had reached another fence along 
which trees, bushes and vines were thick- 
ly grown. Among these bushes Mr. 
Heckman made his escape while the rebels 
rode on furiously for about a mile thinking 
to capture him. Failing to find him they 
became enraged. In the meanwhile 
as these were after Heckman, the two 
rebels who remained at the house took 
hold of Mr. Deck, who was at his barn, 
and placing their revolvers to his head 
demanded to know who the bushwhacker 
was and where he lived. Mr. Deck refus- 
ed to tell them. The rebels then again 
and again threatened with oaths to shoot 
him, but could not frighten him into tell- 
ing them. They then accused him of har- 
boring bushwhackers and declared that 
they would kill him and burn all his 
buildings. Finding that he would not tell 
they threw him to the ground and then 
left declaring that they would return the 
next day and bring a whole company and 
plant a battery on what is known as the 
Big Hill, situated alwut a half mile oflf", 
and would shell the gap and kill every 
bushwhacker they would find. While 
these things were transpiring with Mr. 
Deck the other scout, Abraham Weaver, 
had reached the camp and reported what 



1 86 



Reminiscences of iJic War 



was going on. Here now was an opportu- 
nity for the boys to show their courage. 
The following ten persons at once went on 
the double quick, well armed, down the 
mountain to rescue Mr. Deck, viz : Wil- 
liam Finney, as Captain, Abraham Wea- 
ver, George Weaver, Henry Clay Keefer, 
Franklin Deck, Augustus Deck, Harry 
Deck, Jacob Tugh, John Bossart and 
David Timmons. On reaching Mr. 
Deck's they found that the rebels had just 
left. Again they double quicked across 
tlie fields to intercept them, but the rebels 
had gotten ahead of them and went 
straight for Chambersburg. This ended 
the first and only trouble at Reefer's Gap, 
and every horse which was kept there was 
safe. One farmer becoming dissatisfied 
with this staying in the mountain, left the 
camp one evening with his horses. The 
next day his six horses were taken. They 
were good horses and the six were worth 
from a thousand to twelve hundred dol- 
lars. Mr. Heckman, the scout they shot 
at, was afterwards killed by the explosion 
of a shell while he was attempting to take 
out its contents. 

Dr. McClay, of Green village, quoting 
from his journal written during the war, 
furnishes the following : 

During the night of Tuesday, June 2r;d 
(18G3), a large body of rebel cavalry passed 
through the Village on down towards 
Bhippensburg. Their arms and accoutre- 
ments seemed to be all muttled so as to 
make no noise. 

Ilhodes' infantry took up a position 
about Shirk's Hill (about two miles south 
of the Village on the Chambersburg road) 
and planted a large number of cannon 
there. It was their intention to fortify 
this hill and wait the coming of the 
Union army. Rev. Wesley Howe, who 
at that time lived in the Village, had this 
from the officers, many of whom he knew 
when preaching in Virginia. 

On the morning of the 2()th (Friday), 
before daylight, the rebel infantry com- 
menced to pass down the valley and con- 
tinued passing until after night. (This 
was Rhodes' division.) 

Several of the officers were much inter- 
ested in the Presbyterian churches of the 
valley, and made inquiries concerning 
church matters, and but little about poli- 
tics or the war. A religious service was 
held by them on Sabbath, 2Sth, in Mr. 
John immell's woods near the Village. 
Fine discourse, attentive congregation and 
good singing. Three of the soldiers who 
stood guard about my house had been stu- 
dents of Dr. Shoemaker's, at Academia, 
Juniata county, at one time. 

June oUth (Tuesday) rebel army began 
to return from down the valley. They 
went out the Scotland road. 



Walked to Shirk's Hill after the rebels 
had left. The woods and fields all around 
were covered with hundreds of hides cut 
to pieces to render them useless. The 
rebels were passing right over the fields in 
a direct line for Fayetteville, regardless of 
roads, and evidently in a great hurry. 
From Monu's down to Hargleroad's mill 
and over the old camp meeting ground, 
the rebels lay in immense numbers. They 
were all moving when we looked over the 
fields from the highest point on the hill. 
Drums were beating and the ear-piercing 
fife and the shrill notes of the trumpet 
were all calling to arms. We gazed on 
the scene and silently invoked the great 
God of battles to protect our Army and 
Nation from this great force of misguided 
men. (This was Johnson's division. 
Part of his wagon train came up the pike 
to Chambersburg and passed out towards 
Gettysburg. The balance of his train 
with Rhoads', passed across the county 
by Scotland and the road leading from 
Shippeusburg to Greenwood. — J. Hokk.) 

But little is known of the circumstances 
connected witii the retreat of the Confed- 
erate army from Gettysburg. Dr. H. G. 
Chritzman, who was with Kilpatrick's 
cavalry at that time, furnishes the follow- 
ing interesting account, which we grate- 
fully place upon record here. 

Mr. J. Hoke, 8%r : 

At your request I have prepared the follow- 
ing statement of events connected with Kilpat- 
rick's pursuit of Lee on his retreat from 
(iettyshurg, of which T was personally cogni- 
zant. So far as I know the incidents related 
have not been yet iiuhlished. 

H. G. Chritzman. 

A great deal has been written and spoken 
about the battle of Gettysburg, hut I have 
never read anything concerning Kili>atrick'8 
dash across the mountains thi-ough Monterey 
Pass, after tlu^ battle. 

I will state the doings of the 8th Pa. cavalry, 
of which I was a member before and after the 
tight. The 8th cavalry was originally com- 
manded by David M. Gregg, but at the time of 
the movelnent on Gettysl)ui-g, Gregg was a 
Brigadier General commanding the lid Division 
of Pleasaiiton's cavalry corps, and was consid- 
ered one among the ablest cavalry command- 
ers in the army of the Potomac. 

June 28th, 186:'., the 8th cavalry was at Fred- 
erick. INId., it was then detatached from Devin's 
tirigade, and united with Kilpatrick's old hri- 
gade. Col. Huey of the 8th cavalry was assign- 
ed to the command of the Brigade, consisting 
of the 2d and 4th Xew Vork, Gth Ohio and 8th 
Pa. cavalry, also battery C, ;!d U. S. 

From Frederick we pushed on to New Mar- 
ket. June 29th. Still on the march through 
t he night, arriving at Westminster at daybreak, 
.rune iiOMi. 

A little incident took place during this night 
march which will go far to show how inditfer- 
ent soldiers may become to danger, even in the 



Reminiscences of the War. 



1S7 



face of the eiiuiiiy, by the exhaustion of loiij;- 
and fatiguing marches. The coinniand had 
halted from some cause and the writer of this 
beconiing somewhat weary in the saddle dis- 
mounted and sat down in a fence corner to rest. 
How long he had remained in that position he 
is now unable to say, but on awaking from a 
titful slumber all seemed dai'k and still, not 
even the sound of a restive horse or the clank 
of a sabre disturbed the silence. (Jetting upon 
my feetand peering out into the uncertain light, 
I could just discern my regiment still there, 
seeming like some phantom column of men 
and horses. I walked up to the officer command- 
ing and spoke of this ominous silence, exjiress- 
ing my fears that the column had moved on. 
He told me to walk up the line and ascertain if 
there was anything in front of us. I soon dis- 
covered that the column had moved on with 
the exception of a battery in our immediate 
front, the men of whicli were fast asleep. 
There sat cannoneers and drivers forgetful of 
duty, perhaps many of them dreaming of fixr 
away homes and brighter scenes than the stern 
and relentless strife in which they were soon to 
engage. I immediately reported the fact that 
the column with the exception of the battery 
had moved forward. I can assure you there 
was some lively traveling for a time until we 
caught up to the rest of the brigade, about day- 
light. During July 1st, 2d and .'3d, our bri- 
gade did picket duty on the right and rear of 
the army, and guarded the trains. 

July 4th, moved to Emmittsburg and repm-t- 
ed to Kilpatrick; moved same cA-ening to inter- 
cept Ewell's wagon train which was rejiorted 
to be near Montei'ey Springs. The brigade 
moved rapidly up the mountain road striking 
Ewell's wagon train about 3 a. m., July .5th, in 
the midst of a furious thunder storm, whilst on 
its retreat from Gettysburg. 
"Then arose so wild a yell 
Along that dark and narrow dell, 
As if the fiends from heaven had fell," 

Combined with the Plutonic darkness made it 
one of the nights long to be remembered. 
When we came up with the wagon train. Union 
and Kebel cavalry, wagons, ambulances, dri- 
vers and mules became a confused mass of pur- 
sued and pursuing demons whose shouts and 
carbine shots, mingled with the lightning's 
red glare and the thunder crash, made it appear 
as if we were in the infernal regions. Especi- 
ally so as the cries of the wounded often rose 
high above the din of the conliicting forces. 

Frequently a driver would be shot or hnive 
his mule team, when the unrestrained animals 
would rush wildly down the narrow road, and 
in many in.stances the wagons with the mules 
attached would be found at daylight at the bot- 
tom of some deei> ravine crushed to piec<s and 
the mules dead or dying. It was a fearful rid(! 
suiting well the fearless intrepidity of our dar- 
ing (jommander. First a rebel brigade, then a 
long train of wagons and ambulames, then our 
brigade; in the centre, with ICwell's corps in our 
rear, going down that narrow mountain road 
upon the principle of the devil take the hin<l- 
most, and you have Kilpatrick's dash across 
]SIonterey Pass. 

The result of this brilliant movement was 
the capture of a lai'ge number of wagons, am- 
bulances and mules with fifteen hundred 



prisoners. The brigade reached the foot of the 
mountain about daylight, leaving the Baltimore 
]iike wherci it tumis toward.-i Waynesboro', the 
column moved on to Smithsburg, ]SId., where 
the wagons and ambulances were burnt. The 
cimimand rested at this i)lace during the day. 
As the shades of evening drew nigh we were 
treated to a compliment of shot and shell by 
Stuart, who ai)]ieared at Haven Rock (Jap, 
above th(^ little \all;ig('. Soon our battery got 
into position when Stuart was compelled to re- 
tire, when our brigade took up the line of 
march for Boonsboro, where it arrived about 
midnight without furthtu- interruption. 

A great deal more might be said of this bri- 
gade and (ispecially of the gallant Kilpatrick, 
who tigunnl so conspicuously in Sherman's 
march from the mountains through the two 
Carolinas to the sea, but time and space forbid. 
General Hooker's prize, oftered for a dead cav- 
alryman, would soon have depleted his excheci- 
uer, for many brave troopers bit the dust 
during the Gettysburg campaign. 

We thank God for Gettysburg, for it was 
there the very heart and flower of the Southern 
confederacy da.shed itself to pieces against the 
Union lines on the "llocky Heights of Gettys- 
burg." 

It was there our God-given liberties were per- 
petuated. The ;id and 4th days of July, 1863, 
witnessed the defeat of Leo and the capitula- 
tion of Vicksburg. They have aptly been sug- 
gested as days of destiny for America. A cen- 
tury before, on the 4th of July, the tocsin of 
American indei)endence was sounded, and 
now again the 3d and 4th of July became criti- 
cal and decided epochs in the history of the 
war for the Union. 

CHAPTER X. 

In addition to the accounts of the great 
wagon train of wounded Confederates from 
Gettysburg passing through our county to 
Virginia, given by various persons, the 
following interesting statement by Mr. 
Jacob C. Snyder, of New FrankHn, is 
worthy of preservation. It should come 
in on page 88. Mr. Snyder says : 

About 10 or 11 o'clock on tlie night of Satur- 
day, July 4th, 18()3, we heard a great noise of 
horses feet clattering and tramping along on 
the road, it was at first supjjosed that another 
detachment was i)assing along to Gettysburg. 
After a little the rumbling of wagons was 
heai'd. I at once arose, struck a light, opened 
the door and went out, aiul in less than fifteen 
minutes the large hall in my house and the 
yard in front were filled with wounded Con- 
federate soldiers. They at once set up the 
clamor to my wife and other members of my 
family, '^'■^^'a^er! WcUerU Give ns Water!'" 
They also begged to liave their wounds dres.sed. 
(), what a sight ! I at once came- to the conclu- 
sion that something unusual had taken place, 
and as the rain was falling in torrents, 1 juiton 
my overcoatand walked outto thebarn-yard at 
the roadside with a stafY in my hand. I there 
found that .some cavalrymen Avere driving some 
of my young cattle out of my barn-yard. I 
walked up to the gate and closed it to jirevent 
any more from being driven out. The officer 



1 88 



Reminiscences of the War. 



in charge, sitting on his horse, and seeing the 
staff I carried, supposed it to be a gun and at 
once rode away. At about 1 o'clock, A. M., a 
man with a short leg rode up to the yard gate 
in company with five or six others. He very 
politely asked Mrs. Snyder for a drink of wa- 
ter. He seemed to be strapped to his horse. 
When riding away one of the men said he was 
General Ewell. I afterwards learned that his 
amputated limb had gotten sore. (It seems to 
me that this could not have been General Ew- 
ell. Unless positively unable he would cer- 
tainly have remained at the head of his corps. 
—J. Hoke.) The long-wished for daylight at 
length dawned, and revealed to the farmers 
along the road that their fences were torn down 
and ambulances and wagons, together with 
hundreds of cavalry, were making their way 
through their fields and their wheat, corn and 
grass were being ruined. The narrow road in 
many places was so badly cut up that the wag- 
ons could scarcely get along, and many had to 
take the fields. Broken down wagons and cais- 
sons, yet containing large amounts of ammu- 
nition, were strewn all along the route. Oh, 
what a sight ! The groans of the wounded and 
shrieks of the dying beggar description. I said 
to several of the men— Major Throckmorton 
and others who had been at mv house on their 
way to Gettysburg, "What does this mean ? I 
think you have received a most terrible whip- 
ping." They replied that they were only going 
back to get more ammunition and would come 
back and clean out the Yankees. I then said : 
' 'It looks to me as if the Yankees have com- 
pletely cleaned you out, and I tliink, and I pre- 
sume you think so yourselves, that you had 
better stayed at home and remained under the 
Old Flag." At 2 o'clock, P. M., a battery of 
six brass pieces drew up in front of my barn 
and fed their horses. This battery was suppor- 
ted and accompanied by about 100 cavalry and 
some infiintry. The cavalry dismounted in a 
ten acre field of jirime wheat, all out in head. 
At the same time during the halt the men were 
slaughtering cattle at Mr. Jeremiah W. 
George's. At this place some of the men died 
and were buried, and others unable to go any 
further were left with Mr. George. The graves 
of some that died there can yet be seen along 
the road ; others are farmed over. Among 
those that were buried was Major McDine, of 
South Carolina. He was buried close by the 
well in a beautiful grove, and his grave was 
marked by a head-board bearing his initials. 
On the 20th day of April, 186C, three persons 
came to Mr. George's in search of this grave. 
One of them was the Major's brother-in-law, 
who was accompanied by a friend of the de- 
ceased, and the two were under the guidance of 
a colored man who had been the Major's ser- 
vant, and was with him when he died and was 
buried. In a conversation with these persons 
I learned that Mrs. M'Dine, the Major's wife,had 
partially lost her mind upon hearing of the 
death of her husband, and at her urgent solici- 
tation and with the hope to relieve her, they 
had come in search of his body. They came 
from South Carolina to Hagerstown, thence to 
Gettysburg, and then under the guidance of 
the colored man, followed up the way of the 
disastrous retreat until they came to Mr. 
George's, where the guide at once recognized the 



place and took them to the grave. The re- 
mains were taken up, carried to near my spring 
and there prepared and enclosed in a box and 
taken along. 

Among the wounded left at Mr. George's was 
Lieut. Col. Benjamin F. Carter, of General Mc- 
Law's Division, Longstreet's Corps. 1 visited 
Col. Carter frequently during his stay there. 
He was a man of more than ordinary ability. 
He had enjoyed the advantages of a fine educa- 
tion and had great conversational powers. He 
was a Texan and had served two years in the 
legislature of that State. He had two daughters 
living. The one was Mrs. M. C. McLove, re- 
siding in Burnettsville, Marlboro District, 
South Carolina. In the discussion of "the 
principles of the secession heresy" as he termed 
it, which he often did with his companions, 
and in my presence, I learned that he was of 
the Alexander H. Stejihens stamp. He was 
taken to Chambersburg by Dr. A. H. Senseny 
in an ambulance, where he subsequently died. 

From Col. Carter I obtained much informa- 
tion in relation to the battle of Gettysburg. He 
had received his wound in the first charge made 
by McLaw upon little Round Top, from the 
"Devil's Den." They had met a heavy repulse 
from that place, and when General Longstreet 
ordered General McLaw to charge the second 
time, the latter reiilied in these words, "Gener- 
al Longstreet, I regard a second charge a need- 
less sacrifice of human life — to lead men against 
one of nature's impregnable barriers so well 
manned and so bravely defended — I disobey 
the order." These, said Colonel Carter, were 
the precise words used by General McLaw. 

"On Monday morning, the 5th, about 3 
o'clock, four men drove into my yard with a 
two-horse carriage. They asked to have their 
jaded horses fed and breakfast for four persons, 
for all which they projjosed to pay. I said that 
if they paid in greenbacks and not in Confed- 
erate scrip, they could be accommodated. They 
were evidently civilians and not soldiers, and 
the higher grade of Southern aristocracy. They 
were cursing and swearing about the Yankees 
getting one of their blooded horses for which 
they said they were oftered ?1,.500. Their great 
trouble seemed to be, "if the Yankees only 
knew what kind of a horse they had." They 
paid my son a five dollar government note. I 
told them that they had better get away or the 
Yanks would get them and their old rips of 
horses. It was about daylight when they left. 
It was evident that they expected the Blue 
Coats to be after them. Just as they were 
about to leave some colored persons, who came 
along, began to sing, 

I'se gwine back to Dixe, 

No more I'se gwine to wander. 
My heart's turned back to Dixie, 

I can't stay here no longer ; 
I miss de old plantation. 

My home and my relation, 
My hearts turned back to Dixie, 

And I must go. 

Chorus : — I'se gwine back to Dixie, 

For I hear the children calling, 
I see the sad tears falling. 
My heart's turned back to Dixie 
And I must go. 



Reminiscences of the War. 



189 



Never shall I forget that sceue, and never did 
I see a more forlorn and disgusted party tban 
those five men when, in their old rickety two- 
liorse carriage, drawn by two old rips, they 
drove away amidst the singing of those colored 
persons. 

In a few hours the Boys in Blue, under Gen- 
eral Gregg, were on hands and took hundreds 
of prisoners. 

When writing the account given in a 
previous chapter of the dash made upon 
the great wagon train from Gettysburg by 
the gallant Captain Jones between Green- 
castle and Williamsport, I was ignorant 
of the way by which Captain Jones was 
ordered to cross from McConnellsburg to 
Mercersburg at that eventful time. Mr. 
W. Scott Fletcher, who was a resident of 
McConnellsburg during the war, and well 
informed of all the events which occurred 
there, relates the following : That part of 
General Milroy's force, which had escaped 
into Pennsylvania after his defeat and 
route at Winchester, and had congregated 
at Everett or Bloody Run, composed of 
the 14th Pennsylvania Cavalry, several 
companies of the First New York Caval- 
ry, some infantry and other parts of regi- 
ments and companies, had advanced to 
McConnellsburg and occupied that place 
on Saturday, July 4th. The whole of 
these forces was under command of Colo- 
nel Pierce of the 14th Pennsylvania. Mr. 
James O. Carson, of Mercersburg, on the 
evening of that day, being ignorant of the 
approach of that great wagon train, but 
seeking protection from the numerous 
straggling rebels who were prowling about 
the country, sent a letter to Mr. W. S. 
Fletcher at McConnellsburg, asking him 
in case there were any Federal soldiers 
there to have some sent across the 
mountain to Mercersburg. Mr. Fletcher 
received this letter late on Saturday even- 
ins, and at once showed it to Col. Pierce 
and asked him to send Captain Jones with 
about two hundred men. Mr. Fletcher 
selected Captain Jones because of his well 
known bearing and efficiency. To this 
request Col. Pierce agreed and sent Cap- 
tain Jones with his own company and 
about one hundred men from the 14th 
Pennsylvania. These left McConnells- 
burg early on Sunday morning, and upon 
reaching Mercersburg, or probably before 
reaching that place, they learned of the 
great wagon train and at once proceeded 
to intercept it. 

The following account of the dash upon 
and capture of a part of this train was 
given by Lieut. David Irwin to Rev. J. 
Spangler Keiffer, who was an intimate 
friend and school-mate of his. Lieut. Ir- 
win was from Union county, Pennsylva- 
nia, and a graduate of Amherest College. 
He is now a captain in the regular army, 



of the United States. Mr. Keiflfer, at the 
time of the war, was teaching in the Acad- 
emy at Mercersburg, and obtained his in- 
formation from Lieut. Irwin at the time 
of the occurrence. It has been transmit- 
ted to me by Mr, KeifTer through Rev. 
Mr. Cort. 

Lieutenant Irwin's statement is as fol- 
lows : A cavalry force of about two hun- 
dred men, under command of Captain 
Jones, of the First New York cavalry, 
hearing on Sunday, July oth, of the great 
wagon train on its way from Gettysburg 
to Virginia, advanced upon it by way of 
Mercersburg and intercepted it at Cear- 
foss's Cross Roads, nearly midway be- 
tween Greencastle, Pa., and Williamsport, 
Md. After a sharp skirmish with the 
guards, who were scattered somewhat 
thinly along the line, the wagons were 
turned into the road leading to Mercers- 
burg. The train was cutout from Hayde's 
down to the farm formerly owned by Da- 
vid Zellers. The wagons cut off south of 
the Cross Roads were turned around in 
the barn-yard of Mr. Zellers, and hastily 
driven back to follow the other part of the 
captured train to Mercersburg. Hugh Lo- 
gan was along with the Confederate escort 
and made a very narrow escape from cap- 
ture by leaving his horse and hiding until 
the Lhiion cavalry had left. Mr. Henry 
Zellers saw him and says he was in great 
dread of capture. Great gallantry was 
displayed by Captain Jones and his brave 
troopers in this affair, as well as in all oth- 
er affairs he had with the rebels. One of 
his troopers rode gallantly as far as the 
Broad Fording Road, but tinding himself 
unsupported he was obliged to make his 
escape by turning off at that point. 

In this gallant affair about one hundred 
wagons — as many as this small body of 
cavalry could handle— with about 600 or 
700 hundred wounded Confederates who 
were in the wagons, were captured. The 
head of this captured train began to pass 
through Mercersburg about dusk, and con- 
tinued passing until late in the night. It 
was hurried on through the town towards 
the Gap for fear of an effort to recapture 
it. At or near the Gap the head of the 
train met a large detachment from the 14th 
Pennsylvania cavalry under Col. Pierce. 
Upon believing themselves strong enough 
to protect themselves from capture, they re- 
turned to Mercersburg, where the wounded 
were taken from the wagons and placed in 
the Seminary and other buildings. In ad- 
dition to over one hundred wagons, and 
000 or 700 prisoners captured, there was 
also one cannon. Mr. Keifler overheard 
a sharp discussion and dispute between 
Col. Pierce and Captain Jones in relation 
to the results of this affair. It appeared 
that Captain Jones was not satisfied with 



190 



Re^niniscences of the War. 



the result, and wanted to make another 
dash upon the train, but was overruled 
and prevented by Col. IMerce. Had Capt. 
Jones been in command, and been permit- 
ted to have his own way, with the increas- 
ed force then at his disposal, greater cap- 
tures would have resulted. It is necessa- 
ry only to say that Col. Pierce was subse- 
quently discharged from the service for 
his entire incompetency. 

Lieutenant Irwin related to Mr. Keitter 
the particulars of a personal encounter he 
had with a rebel officer when the dash was 
made upon that train at the Cross Roads. 
The officer was mounted on a fine charger 
and dashed upon Lieutenant Irwin in such 
a way by a semi-circling charge, that the 
Lieutenant was unable to use his sabre. 
As this semi-circling charge was made, 
the officer fired his pistol rapidly, and one 
ball struck the rim of Lieutenant Irwin's 
hat. Turning partly around in his saddle 
and resting his pistol on his left arm or 
shoulder, he fired backwards at his assail- 
ant, when he fell from his horse, whicli 
afterwards became the property of the 
Lieutenant. Irwin immediately dismoun- 
ted and offered assistance to his prostrate 
foe, but he was in no mood to accept of it. 
Judging that he was mortally wounded. 
Lieutenant Irwin left him. Dr. Victor 
Miller says that lie was called upon to 
dress tlie wound of a Captain Zaine, who 
was fatally wounded in the same engage- 
ment along the pike not far from Hayde's, 
several miles from Greencastle. General 
Jenkins also came along sometime after, 
and dismounted to take a look at the 
wounded officer. He ordered that he be 
taken to Williamsport, where he after- 
wards died. From all that can be learned 
this Captain Zaine was the officer with 
whom Lieutenant Irwin had the contest. 
General Jenkihs had Dr. Miller to exam- 
ine and dress a wound he received at Get- 
tysburg on the top of his head, caused by 
a piece of a shell. 

A very romantic occurrence took place 
in connection with the wounding of this 
Confederate officer. At a later period of 
the war Lieutenant Irwin was stationed 
at Williamsport as Provost Marshall, and 
as gallant young men were in the habit of 
doing, he made the acquaintance of some 
of the young ladies of that place. Among 
others he frequently visited a family to 
which several interesting ladies belonged. 
They were strongly Southern in their sym- 
pathies, and had much to say of a dear 
friend of theirs — a certain officer of a Vir- 
ginia regiment, who had been killed in the 
war. One day these ladies showed the 
Lieutenant a picture of the deceased 
friend, which lie saw at once was a strik- 
ing likeness of the officer whom he had 
met in bloody combat in the raid upon the 



wagon train. He said nothing, liowever, 
but proceeded to read a funeral discourse 
which they handed him and which had 
been preached and published on the 
life and character of tlie lamented of- 
ficer. Reading the circumstances of his 
death as detailed in this sermon, he saw 
that he Avas indeed the identical officer he 
had latally wounded. Of course he did 
not shock the sensibilities of his fair 
friends by telling them what part he had 
played in the deatli of their friend. 

CHAPTER XII. 

In further illustration of General Mc- 
Causland's brutality and profanity, as 
referred to in his conduct at Hagerstown 
on page 103, I take the following from an 
article contributed to the Philadelphia 
BeGord of August 4th, 1877, by a corre- 
spondent signing his name as "■Franklin.''' 
It is only necessary to say that this person 
resided in Hagerstown and knew whereof 
he spoke. That correspondent says of 
McCausland : 

Entering the town, lie demanded a sum of 
money wlucli astounded the rebel sympathiz- 
ers in the ftlace. Hamilton, Alvey, IMenley, 
Syester and other leading "sesesh" were con- 
stituted a committ(!e to wait ujion the General 
for the purpose of getting him to withdraw his 
demand upon the town. They did so, and in 
response to their exin-essious of sympathy for the 
cause in which he had unsheathed his sword, 
he swore that he wanted money, and cared 
nothing for their sympathy ; that if his demand 
was not complied with in the time sijecified he 

would "burn the town to ." The 

committee retired for consultation, and were in 
dismay. In their extremity they summoned 
Captain Isaac Nesbit, a prominent Union 
man, and implored him to wait ujiou their 
guest and endeavor to bring him to such terms 
as could be complied with. Nesbit demurred 
from attempting negotiations after the failure 
of the committee, but was linally prevailed 
upon to call upon ISIcCausland, who had quar- 
tered himself in tlie Oourt House. When Nes- 
bit approached tlie C4eneral, he was in the act 
of changing his shirt in view of the people in 
the square. Itepugnant in liis appearance, 
surly in liis manner, someone remarked that 
he looked lik(^ "a lion with a hat on." Nesbit 
Avalketl up to McCaiislaiid after he had some- 
what adjusted tlie shirt (a red one it was) with 
which he had just adorned himself, and re- 
marked to the General that he was "steep in 
his demands upon the town." Taking his 
watch from his pocket and looking at it Mc- 
Causland replit'il that "if his demand— steep as 
it might appear— was not honored he would 

burn tlie town to in one liour from 

that time." Nesbit kept perfectly cool and 
self-poised and, seemingly, did not notice the 
words of McCausland. He answered that the 
merchants had removed their goods, the banks 
their deposits, on tlie approach of the Confeder- 
ates, and it was an utter impossibility, howev- 
er much the people might feel disposed to com- 



Reininiscences of the War. 



191 



ply with his deniaiids. IMcOausland tlieii 
looking .at his watch repoattul his tlireat. 
Ncsbit, looking McCausland full in the face, 
i-(!plifid with considerable vehemence, that he 
(McCausland) had the power, as he well 
knew, to bum the town and he niight just as 
well begin the work at once, as there was not 
the remotest possibility of his iireposterous 
demands being met by the handful of citizens 
remaining in Hagerstown. JNIcCauslaud chang- 
ed his manner to Nesbit immediately and told 
him that he "talked like a man," and wanted 
t o know what could be done. Niisbit, in return , 
remarked that the General was becoming 
rational, lie (Nesbit) could not promise what 
booty would be raised, but all that was possi- 
ble. 

On page lOG I give as evidence that the 
sentiment of mauyof tlie Southern people 
(lemanded the laying waste of our border, 
the remark made to me by a gentleman 
familiar with the people of that section, 
that after the return of the Confederate 
army to Virginia, after the battle of 
Gettysburg, the press of nearly the entire 
South found fault with General Lee for 
not laying this whole country in ruins; 
and, said my friend, "if ever the Confed- 
erates get back here again, they will burn 
and plunder." That this sentiment pre- 
vailed among General Lee's army during 
the invasion of 1863, and his men were 
only held from executing it by his orders 
forbidding it, is apparent in a statement 
hereafter to appear by one of the Confed- 
erates, who was with Lee's army during 
the invasion, and also at the burning of 
the town, one year afterwards. This fact 
is further proven in the following extract 
from an editorial which appeared in the 
Ilichmond Exjiresft (Jellerson Davis' ofh- 
cial organ) conveying to its readers the 
intelligence of the destruction of Cham- 
bersburg by McCausland : 

"We love to hear those cries of anguish. 
Tliis howl of desolation and desjiair from the 
quarter in which it is heard comes upon our 
ear like 'music on the water.' It is sweet be- 
yond all earthly gratitication. Glad are we 
that retribution has at last ])ut forth its terrible 
arm and assumed its most terrible; shape. We 
hope it will be pushed to the furthest extremi- 
ty to which it is capable of going. We shoukl 
be glad to hear that the whole valley of the 
Susiiuehanna was one long, unbroken, irresi.st- 
<aV)le flame, not to subside as long as a house, 
or a tree, or a blade of grass, or a stalk of corn, 
remained to testify that it had ever been in- 
habited by man. No sight could be more 
agreeable to our eyes than to behold every part 
of Yankeedom within reach of our arnues, con- 
vcrtetl into a mass of ashes — to see every beast 
that w.ilked on four feet, .and could not be 
driven oft" for our own use, slaughtered and left 
to rot on the ground." 

A touching incident which occurred on 
the nay of tlie burning of Chambersburg, 
is related by John .Jeflries, Esq., as fol- 



lows : Mr. Jeffries says he was returning 
from Harrison Avenue, whither he had 
carried some articles for a friend to save 
them from the flames, when he was ac- 
costed somewhere near the Market House 
by a Confederate oflicer, or soldier, in the 
following language : "I am told that there 
is an old gentleman somewhere in this 
street ((iueen) who is sick in his house 
and will be burned up unless he is taken 
out. Can you take me to him ?" Con- 
cluding that the person referred to was Dr. 
S. D. Culbertson, Mr. Jeffries led the sol- 
dier to Mr. Culbertson's house, and pass- 
ing through it and not finding him in, 
they ran into the adjoining house of Mr. 
E. D. Reid, Mr. Culbertson's son-in-law, 
thinking he possibly might be there, and 
in passing through a door in the back part 
of the house the soldier struck his head 
against the upper part of the door frame, 
and owing to the great speed at which he 
was running he was knocked down. Mr. 
Jeffries sprang to his assistance when he 
said, "Never mind me; for God's sake 
find the old gentleman that we may save 
him." Passing out into the street they 
met Mrs. Lindsay, daughter of Mr. Ber- 
nard Wolff, who was lamenting concern- 
ing her father and saying that he was in 
his house on the southeast corner of Main 
and Queen streets, and refused to leave it. 
Rushing through Mrs. Lindsay's yard to 
the rear of Mr. Wolff's residence, they 
found that venerable man standing by a 
somewhat antiquated bureau, and declar- 
ing that he would not leave the place 
while that bureau remained as it was his 
mother's. Assisted by the soldier Mr. 
Jeffries bore the bureau out of the house 
and placed it in the adjoining lot as far 
away from the house as they could where 
they left it, when Mr. Wolff followed them 
to a place of safety. The object of his 
solicitude, however, was burned there. 

A couple of hours after the subsidence 
of the fire, the writer met the venerable 
Judge Chambers at Main and King 
streets. He had been up taking a look at 
the ruins of his residence, and was on his 
way out North Main street where he had 
gone when the town was fired. While 
conversing with him a person passing by 
informed him that the rebels had been 
making inquiries for him, and that it was 
rumored that they were coming back to 
complete the destruction of the town. 
Hearing this the Judge said that he 
thought it prudent for him to proceed at 
once to his place of lodging and he passed 
on out North Main street. The rumored 
return of the rebels proved to be Averill's 
men, who shortly thereafter entered and 
passed through the town. 

In an article contributed to the Frank- 
lin Hepo-sKori/ of July r.(lth, 1884, by ISIr. 



192 



Reminiscences of the War. 



W. A. Reid, exception is taken to the 
statement of Thomas R. Bard, Esq., upon 
page 13-1:, as to General Averill's where- 
abouts and condition during the night 
previous to the burning of Chambersburg, 
when General Couch was attempting to 
communicate with him by telegraph from 
this place and failed to elicit any reply. 
Mr. Reid's statement is substantially as 
follows : 

Late ill the afternoon of Friday, Jnly 29th, 1S64, 
General Averill with his coinmand of cavalry 
came into Greencastle from Willianispors, Md., 
to escape a force under (itiimral Vaughan, 
which crossed the Potomac at the latter place. 
Some time was spent by the commanding ofd- 
cer in looking at thcto])ogrnphy of the country, 
examining Long's Hill (and perhaps another 
point, John Wilhelm's ticld, near the C. V. 
warehouse) doubtless with the view of select- 
ing a place for battle in ca.se he was followed 
by the enemy, then at or near Hagerstown. 
During the forenoon many .stragglers had hur- 
ried on, but it was after the middle of the 
afternoon that the cavalry, jaded with their 
recent hurried marches in West Virginia, filed 
by, pa.s.sing through Carlisle street. That 
evening General Averill made his headquar- 
ters at the residence of Archibald Fleming, Sr., 
about one mile north on the ('hambersburg 
road. Jt will be remembered that, on that 
evening a body of new troops enlisted for a 
short term, six months we believe, had been 
sent here by General ("ouch. They rested on 
the Square and along ('ai'lisle street, while 
Averill's cavalry bivouacked on Fleming's 
farm. The telegraphic news throughout the 
afternoon and evening was most unwelcome 
intelligence. Mr. H. It. Fetterhoft" was local 
operator at that time, and D. C. Aughinbaugli 
operator from Hagerstown who in those peril- 
ous days was frequently here and along the 
line, was also in the ofdce at least during part 
of the evening. With the wires working badly 
and the news, as read in the faces of the ojiera- 
tors iiud their friends, always getting worse, 
our people were left to wonder ''what next?" 
< )rderlies carried messages to the commander 
at Fleming's. At about half-past eleven that 
night intelligence was brought in showing that 
McC'ausland, who had crossed at McCoy's Fer- 
ry, was on the Warm Spring road. Whether 
later news was received by telegraph from 
Chambersburg, I am not prepared to say, as, 
of cour.se, the despatches were for the com- 
manding ofticer they were not shown to citi- 
zens. Now as to Mr. Bard's statement in his 
letter x>ublished by Mr. Hoke in the last num- 
lier of Public Opinion, that the orderlies 
bearing messages could not find General Aver- 
ill, and his own .search for him, I cannot under- 
stand. General Averill, as already said, had 
his headquarters at Mr. Fleming's house. Mr. 
William Fleming informs me that General 
Averill and some of his officers took supper at 
his father's house, that he lay down at a late 
hour to rest in the yard (which is immediately 
on the public road). The General inquired of 
him the distances from McCoy's Ferry to Mer- 
cer.sburg, to Chambersburg and other points. 
Beforti 3 o'clock in the morning the troops 



were up. General Averill with Captain 
Crawford of his staff, and Messrs. William and 
Jacob Fleming examined a map of Franklin 
county which hung in the hall of their father's 
house. AVishing to move on a line east of the 
Chambersburg road, Mr. Jacob Fleming com- 
jilied with the request made of him to pilot 
them out to the Brown's Mill roail and there 
leaving them (on account of the .serious illness 
of his ftither), he directed them as to the route 
chosen to come out near Fayetteville, on the 
Baltimore turnpike road. Mr. William Flem- 
ing thinks that General Averill was under the 
imiiression, after learning the distances which 
the rebels had to march, that they could not 
reach Chambersburg so early as they did ; and 
next, as to going eastward, he expected, at 
least he exjjressed the thought, that the rebel 
force from Hagerstown would closely follow 
him, and iiursued by a force in the rear, with 
IVIcCauseland on the left tiank in front, he took 
the route northeast to have a clear field on the 
Getty.sburg turnpike road ; as Stuart had 
made this circuit in 18(32, it is probable tliat 
General Averill would recall that event, and 
perhaps this too had some influence to shape 
his course. This, however, is only conjecture. 

I have certainly no desire to do injustice 
to General Averall, for he was considered 
an excellent oflicer, but the truth of histo- 
ry requires that the facts in regard to his 
failure to march to the relief of Chambers- 
burg, or at least to take some notice of 
the frequent and urgent appeals of a supe- 
rior officer in such an emergency, should 
be known. Now can the statement of Mr. 
Reid be harmonized with Mr. Bard's ? 
Let us see. Mr. Reid says that General 
Averill after supper at Mr. Fleming's "lay 
down at a late hour to rest in the yard, 
which is immediately upon the public 
road," Mr. Bard says that he found the 
General "asleep by the side of a fence." 
Mr. Reid further says that "before 8 
o'clock in the morning the troops were 
up" and that "(General Averill with Cap- 
tain Crawford of his staffand Messrs. Wil- 
liam and Jacob Fleming examined a map 
of Franklin county which hung in the 
hall of their father's house." Mr. Bard 
says that the last of General Couch's des- 
patches was received about 3 o'clock, and 
upon the reception of which he at once 
proceeded to General Averill's camp and 
after a short time spent in search found 
the General. Is it not fair to suppose that, 
informed of the contents of the three des- 
patches from General Couch, and the ap- 
proach of the foe, the staff, if not the Gen- 
eral himself, would bestir themselves ; and 
that the cause of their early rise was the 
visit of Mr. Bard, and the consulting of a 
map with a view to escape being caught 
between General Vaughan 's forces from 
Hagerstown and that of McCausland at 
Chambersburg, was the result of the infor- 
mation just then received of the approach 
of the foe in this direction ? If they knew 



Reminiscences of the War. 



193 



of the new danger which threatened them 
from this direction before, why defer con- 
sulting the map until that late hour? 
Mr. Reidsays: "Orderlies carried messa- 
ges to the commander at F'leming's." 
Whether they were delivered to General 
Averill or not, is not stated. Mr. Bard 
says they were not, and he ought to know, 
for he had personal knowledge of what he 
aflirms. The statement of Mr. Bard was 
made immediately after the destruction of 
our town, and up to the publication of Mr. 
Keid's account, so far as I know, was 
never denied. Would it not be more cred- 
itable for General Averill to say that he 
did not receive General Couch's urgent 
despatches than that he did receive them, 
and took no notice whatever of them ? 
His obligations to the General command- 
ing the District, to say nothing of the 
peril threatening a loyal people, whom it 
was his duty, if not his pleasure to protect, 
would have compelled him to at least 
acknowledge the receipt of the despatches 
sent him, and inform him that he could 
not do anything for him. 

It may not be generally known that the 
town of Ringgold, in the State of Georgia, 
was burned partly in retaliation for the 
destruction of Chambersburg. During 
General Sherman's campaign through 
that State, Ringgold was captured with a 
considerable amount of Confederate stores. 
Soon after the burning of Chambersburg 
General Geary who was in command in 
that place, was ordered by General Sherman 
to burn whatever of the supplies they could 
not bring away and then evacuate the 
place. W^hether Sherman's order contem- 
plated the destruction of the whole town, 
I cannot say, but General Geary gave it 
that interpretation and the whole place 
was laid in ruins. General Geary's com- 
mand was composed in part of Pennsyl- 
vanians, and to the cry of "retaliation for 
Chambersburg" they applied the torch. 

As everything relating to the battle of 
Gettysburg will prove of increasing inte- 
rest in all the years to come in the Na- 
tion's history, I place upon record the fol- 
lowing account of a visit to the field of 
battle a few days after its close, by Rev. C. 
Cort, now pastor of the Reformed congre- 
gation at Greencastle. Mr. Cort's ac- 
count is as follows : 

Mr. Jacob Hoke, Dear Sir :—l have been 
greatly interested in your reminiscences of the 
war, and as Gettysburg was the great and de- 
cisive battle in the great contest between free- 
dom and slavery, everything relating to it will 
be a matter of increasing interest to all students 
of history and of military tactics. And as I had 
a few experiences in connection with that bat- 
tle, which will help to illustrate some features 
of the conflict, I herewith submit them for 



your use. Thcise recollections are written from 
notes taken in my diary at the time. 

Yours, Ike, C. (!ort. 



OETTYSBIIRU AS HEARD AFAR OFF AND AS 
SEEN NEAR AT HAND. 

On Friday afternoon, July ."d, 1863, I was 
returning to Somerset, J'ennsylvania, from a 
trip to Mt. Pleasant, in Westmoreland county, 
same State. Rev. George H. Johnston, then pas- 
tor of the Reformed church in Somerset, but 
now jiastor of a congregation in West Phila- 
delphia, was my traveling companion. We 
stopped for a late dinner at the hotel of a Mr. 
Hay at the eastern base of Chestnut Ilidge in 
Ligonier Valley, Westmoreland county, and 
wljile we were at dinner the landlord entered 
tlie room and remarked that a terrible battle 
must be going on somewhere. We replied that 
the latest telegraphic despatches received at 
Mt. ]Measant before our departure indicated 
that the invading army under General Lee had 
met the Union forces at Gettysburg, and a great 
battle would, no doubt, be fought there. JNIr. 
Hay replied, "It must be going on now; we 
can hear the cannonading." Expressing our 
.astonishment <it his statement, he led us out to 
the end of liis porch, where we distinctly heard 
what we regarded as heavy and continuous dis- 
charges of artillery in an eastern direction. 
This was about 2 o'clock, and the precise time 
when the great artillery duel took place pre- 
])aratoi-y to Pickett's great charge upon the 
the Federal line. Upon going out to the turn- 
pike the sound was still more distinct. We 
listened at the portentous sounds for some time 
with great interest and anxiety, for we knew 
that to a great extent the destiny of our gov- 
ernment depended ujion the battle then in pro- 
gress. The following entry in my diary indi- 
cates the thought which was uppermost in our 
minds at the time : "May the Lord of hosts 
give victory to the army of the Union, and 
may the hordes of rebeldom be discomfitted in 
the valleys of our noble old Keystone Common- 
wealth." 

Mr. Hay told us that the cannonading had 
been going on more or less for several days. 
We afterwards learned that hundreds of people 
had heard the same all along the south-eastern 
border of Westmoreland county, and that dur- 
ing the battle of Manassas tlie sound of the 
cannonading was also distinctly heard through- 
out the same localities. The distance from the 
place we heard this cannonading to Gettysburg, 
in a straight line, was not less than one hun- 
dred and forty miles, and the configuration of 
the intervening country — the numerous tran.s- 
verse ridges of the Allegheny mountains- 
would seem to be unfavorable for the transmis- 
sion of sound to so great a distance. And yet, 
while the fact is established beyond di.spute 
that the sound of the great conflict at Gettys- 
burg was distinctly heard in one of the west- 
ern counties of the State, it was not heard in 
many intervening localities not one-third that 
distance from the scene of the conflict. Even 
in Chambersburg and Greencastle, but about 
twenty-five miles distant, but few heard the can- 
nonading and the few who did hear it say it 
was very indistinct. Here is a question for 
scientists to solve. Some military men to whom 



194 



Reminiscences of the War. 



I had stated the fact a few days later at Get- 
tysbug, hooted at the idea of what I said, and 
supposed, I have no doubt, tliat I was telling 
an untruth, or was mistaken. And yet the fact 
is true beyond question, and upon the strength 
of what I heard, I at once prepared to start for 
the scene of strife which shall next claim our 
attention. 

Hearing the sound of battle from afar, filled 
me with a desire to proceed at once to the scene 
of action, to do whatever I could to relieve the 
sufierings of the wounded, but my pulpit du- 
ties on the following Sabbath prevented my go- 
ing until after these diities were discharged. 
Accordingly on Monday I hastened east by 
coach to Johntown and the Pennsylvania rail- 
road to Harrisburg, at which place I took pas- 
sage on the train for Carlisle by the Cumber- 
laud Valley railroad. On Tuesday morning I 
procured a pass to go through the picket line, 
but before I reached it, upon the suburbs of 
Carlisle, the permit was countermanded on the 
ground that it was considered unsafe for citi- 
zens to venture across the country while so 
many stragglers from the Confederate army 
were prowling about. I however determined, 
notwithstanding this danger, to run the risk, 
and succeeded in getting through the lines in 
the following manner : A number of gentle- 
men connected with the Christian Commission 
had engaged a carriage to take them from Car- 
lisle to Gettysburg for which they were to pay 
fifty dollars, and through the kindness of Mr. 
John Wiest, of Philadelphia, who was one of 
the number, I was jiermitted to take a seat with 
them until we passed through the lines, we all 
passing upon the strength of the special pass 
given them. After getting safely through the 
lines, and thanking the party for the fa,vor 
done me, I set out on foot, and proceeded on my 
way, doing some fast walking that excessively 
hot afternoon and evening. Owing to the heat 
those having horses had frequently to stop un- 
der shade trees to rest them, but I passed on 
and overtook and out-travelled a number of 
high-priced teams such as the one hired by the 
gentlemen of the Christian Commission. I 
went by way of Papertown and Whitestown, 
and part of the road led through a gloomy for- 
est, where, I was told, I would be apt to meet 
straggling rebels, butl saw none. I met many 
of the country people returning from the bat- 
tle-field carrying guns and other things which 
they had picked up and smuggled through the 
lines. Ai length at 8 o'clock in the evening I 
reached Conewago creek, Avhere I had consid- 
erable trouble to find the foot-log in the gather- 
ing darkness, but at length succeeded in get- 
ting over. Meeting a man with a gun on his 
shoulder and a cross dog by his side, 1 asked 
him for lodging for the night, when he put me 
oft' with the remark that they had smallpox at 
his house and it would not be safe for me to 
stay there, but at Floi's mill, near by, he 
thought I could get lodging for the niglit. In 
a little while I called at the house of Mr. Floi 
and asked to be permitted to remain over night 
which was after some little time granted. I 
had walked twenty miles in five hours, and felt 
that I needed rest. Beside this a heavy thun- 
der storm was near at hand and it was very 
ilark. With a thankful heart 1 sat down to a 
table on which wei-e jilaced some books, and 



taking up one — a hymn book of the lieformed 
church — found that I was among my own peo- 
ple. They now, upon being apprised of who! 
was, felt free to converse with me about the 
stirring events of the past week, which they 
would have been loth to do to an entire stran- 
ger, and as they had seen much of the effects 
of the battle iipon the enemy's side, they gave 
me much interesting information. 

I had gotten ahead of my friends of the 
Christian Commission and their high-priced 
conveyance, who were obliged to seek shelter 
in a farm house before reaching the Conewago. 
Before morning I had additional reasons for 
feeling grateful over the results of my forced 
march, for a terrible thunder storm broke upon 
us and seemed to vent its fury upon that bat- 
tle-scarred region. The rain descended in tor- 
rents, and soon the Conewago was an impassa- 
ble stream. It was said that it was never 
known to be so high a« on that occasion. A 
number of carriages approached the flooded 
bottoms on the opposite side, but were forced 
to lie over an entire day, or make a detour of 
many miles to reach a bridge. JNIy host took 
me some six miles to Gettysburg in his carriage 
after the rain had somewhat subsided. This 
was on the morning of Wednesday, July 8th, 
18G3. Soon after starting we saw a couple of 
Confederate soldiers coming out of the flooded 
bottoms, and I proposed that we should stop at 
a house near by and get a gun and march them 
along back with us to Gettysburg as prisoners, 
but my ihost deemed it too risky. We then 
drove up to a squad of neighbors not far oft" 
and informed them of our discovery, and ad- 
vised the capture of the rebels, which they set 
out to accomplish. My friend then took in 
some supplies for the wounded, and in due time 
we reached Gettysburg, where I at once report- 
ed to the Christian Commission who directed 
me where to work. Ascertaining where help 
was most needed, I proceeded to give such as- 
sistance and relief as I was able during tbe re- 
mainder of the week. The supplies my friend 
brought with him were eagerly received by tht; 
poor, suffering men. Our butter and chickens 
were taken in a hurry. One poor fellow came 
out of a tent on one leg without either a crutch 
or cane, and bore back in triumph a dressed 
fowl. 

The scenes of suffering among the many 
thousands of wounded of both the Union and 
Confederate armies which came under my ob- 
servation in the few days I spent in and about 
Gettysburg on that memorable occasion, are al- 
together indescribable. Human language is 
inadequate to do it j ustice. The horrors of war 
were revealed in a way that was sickening to 
the heart. The ghastly wounds, the moans and 
cries and screams of anguish, the ravings of 
those whose reason had been dethroned, and 
the appeals for water to allay thirst and mor- 
phine to ease iiain, were such as to move the 
stoutest hearts. One of the streams had over- 
flowed its banks, and a number of wounded 
confederates were drowned and their bodies 
swept away by the raging waters. Great piles 
of amputated limbs lay around. Experienced 
surgeons and medical students fresh from the 
schools were at work like so many bloody 
butchers. The putrid and swollen remains of 
slaughtered men and horses filled the air with 



Reminiscences of the War. 



195 



iiiiiliuia, which .soou brought distiaso ami death 
to visitors from all parts of the country, as well 
as to the inmates of Ihe crowded hospitals. 
Suffering and death were everywhere, and the 
efforts put forth for alleviating the latter, 
though rendered by hundreds of willing hands, 
seemed as but drops to a bucketful 1 when com- 
pared to the vast aggregate all about us. 

The fratricidal nature of the strife was fre- 
quently brought vividly to our minds as we 
ministered to the sutiering men of both armies. 
In the Lutheran Seminary building I met Lieu- 
tenant Harry Hoffman, of the Union army, 
who had been severely wounded by the explo- 
sion 01 a shell in thetirst day's battle. He was 
much rejoiced to see an old college friend, and 
1 was no less glad and surprised to meet him. 
Out on the Hunterstown road some distance I 
met another college friend. Major Kyd Doug- 
las, formerly an aid to Stonewall Jackson, but 
afterwards Adjutant of General Johnson's di- 
vision of Ewell's corps of the Confederate army. 
He had been severely wounded in the left shoul- 
der while leading a brigade into action near 
Gulp's Hill. He had passed unscathed through 
forty-three battles and skirmishes previous to 
the great conflict at Gettysburg. In one of the 
twelfth army corps hospitals I found a young 
Mr. Hockmau of the Stonewall Brigade, and 
having visited his relations near Woodstock, 
in tlie Valley of Virginia, in company with an- 
other of my classmates. Rev. M. H. Hockman, 
when General Shields first went up the Shen- 
andoah Valley in the spring of 18G2, I felt a 
deep interest in the wounded youth. With the 
assistance of another collegemate, (now Rev. 
E. H. DiefFenbacher), I relieved his bodily 
wants and ministered such spiritual advice as 
was necessary. He was shot twice through the 
lungs and also through one arm. He calmly 
spoke of his wounds as being necessarily fatal. 
1 sent a telegram to his brother, then pastor of 
a Reformed congregation in Lancaster, Ohio. 
I learned some time afterwards that at that 
very time his Ohio brother was absent from 
home sick from exposure endured in helping to 
head off and capture General John Morgan 
during his famous said into Ohio. A few days 
later this young man died, and his grave was 
marked by DiefFenbacher, who had known him 
in his southern home. Lieutenant Mace, an- 
other college friend, was severely wounded and 
his body was burned up in a barn. Thousands 
of slightly wounded soldiers were transported to 
hospitals in the cities and other places as soon 
as they could be moved, or transportation could 
be had for them, while large numbers of per- 
sons from all parts of the North came on to see 
after and care for those in and about Gettys- 
burg. 

I found by conversing with the southern sol- 
diers in the hospitals, that the men from Geor- 
gia and North Carolina generally expressed 
great abhorrence of the war into which they 
had been forced against their will. "War is a 
very mean way to settle disijutes," was the re- 
mark of one of these men. 

On Saturday afternoon, July 11th, I conclud- 
ed to cross the mountain to the vicinity of Ha- 
gerstown where, it was expected, another bat- 
tle would be fought between the Federal army 
under General Meade and the Confederates un- 
der Lee. Accordingly in company with Rev. 



Jas. A. Sehultz, I set out about half-past two 
o'clock by Fairfield and Monterey I'ass. A. 
]M. Hoover and his wife were going on a visit 
to his father-in-law, Johnstons, on the old Har- 
baugh farm, near where Ten ^lar station on 
the Western Maryland railroad in now located. 
We had the privilege of riding in their spring 
w^igon a good part of the way. For half a doz- 
en miles west and south of Gettysburg, hospit- 
als were continually in view, and everywhere 
from farm houses, barns, tents, &c., the red flag 
streamed out. After passing Monterey we saw 
frequent remains of the wagon train which had 
been raided and destroyed by General Kil pat- 
rick the week before. It was dark when we 
arrived at Mr. Johnstons, and upon arriving 
there we found the family in distress on ac- 
count of the abduction of Mr. Johnston by the 
rebels. He and some of his neighbors were 
watching a passing train of wagons, when some 
mountaineers imprudently came down carry- 
ing their guns with them. The whole party 
was arrested as bushwhackers, although no 
overt act had been committed, and a number of 
them were unarmed and inoffensive persons. 
They were marched off to Williamsport and 
experienced a trying time before they were per- 
mitted to return to their homes. In fact Mr. 
Johnston never fully recovered from the shock 
and exposure to which he was subjected. In 
the evening of this day I went with Rev. Mr. 
Sehultz to Waynesboro', where we stayed over 
night, and called at the Reformed parsonage, 
where we learned that Rev. Mr. Krebs had 
kept his horse concealed three weeks in the 
wash-house and the rebels failed to find him. 
Almost every person had stories to tell of how 
they had succeeded in concealinghorses and oth- 
er valuables from the rebels. On Monday, July 
13th, we footed it to Greencastle and thence to 
Mercersburg. At this place we found the The- 
ological Seminary and other buildings filled 
with wounded rebels who had been captured 
by Captain Jones and his brave command of 
the First New York Cavalry from the large 
wagon train of \fouuded in charge of General 
Imboden. There were about six hundred of 
these prisoners; among them were about a doz- 
en officers, including Col. Leaventhorpe, of the 
Eleventh North Carolina regiment; Captains 
Chambers, Williams, Archer, Belts, &c. Col. 
Leaventliorpe, was a very intelligent and candid 
man. He had been eight years with the Brit- 
ish army before becoming a resident of North 
Carolina. He said the southern leaders had no 
faith in Republican institutions, and as soon as 
their independence was secured they would 
modify the form of the Confederate govern- 
ment, and introduce more of the monarchial 
and aristocratic elements into it. Many of the 
jjrivate soldiers among the North Carolina and 
Georgia prisoners denounced the war as the 
wicked work of ambitious politicians. They 
said they had been conscripted into the confed- 
erate service against their will, and hoped that 
the war would soon end. Such expressions were 
very common among this class of prisoners 
both at Gettysburg and Mercersburg. 

Mercersburg, becau.se of its proximity to the 
border, had been frequently visited by rebel 
soldiers during the war. Stuart's raiders on 
their way to Chambersburg in Oct., 1862, a de- 
tachment of Jeukin's command under Colonel 



196 



Reminiscences of the War. 



Ferguson, ou its way to McConnellsbuig, in 
June, 1863, the brigade of General Stuart on 
its way to the same place a week afterward, 
the cavalry command of Imboden a few days 
later, and finally McNeill's gang some time 
about the battle of Gettysburg, successively 
visited this place. Some of these commands 
were under good discipline and conducted 
themselves tolerably well, but the last to visit 
this place — "McNeill's Border lluffian Slave 
Hunters" — were the most ill-behaved of any. 
This gang made it their especial business to 
hunt up poor colored persons and drag them 
South into slavery, and not content with carry- 
ing oflf colored refugees wno had escaped from 
the South during the war, they carried away a 
number of free colored persons, among whom 
were Samuel Brooks, Little Cotton and other 
noted characters. 

Rev. Mr. Keifter relates the following occur- 
rence, which he copies from his diary written 
at the time, July 3d, 1863. "Two Union scouts 
came in from Hagerstown, who reported that 
General Hooker was sick and McClellan had 
taken command of the Union army ou Tues- 
day morning, June 30th. Shortly a'fter the ar- 
rival of these scouts three rebels dashed into 
Mercersburg in pursuit of Mr. Wolf. The two 
soldiers fired on them, killing private Alban 
and slightly wounding Lieut. William Cane, of 
the 12th Virginia cavalry, both of Captain Sha- 
ver's company. The Lieutenant's horse was 
killed and he was cai)tured. The other rebel 
made his escape." 

It was not iintil Wednesday, July 15th, that 
we learned definitely at Mercersburg that Lee 
had escaped with his army across the Potomac. 
In the meantime we were hourly expecting to 
hear the roar of a decisive battle along that 
river, and were in hopes that he would be eith- 
er capturetl or so crippled as to virtually end 
the war. But this was not to be for long and 
weaiy months yet to come. 

The pheuomena related by Mr. C'ort in 
tbe foregoing of bearing the sound of the 
cannonading at Gettysburg in Westmore- 
land county, not less than one hundred 
and forty miles from the scene of the con- 
flict, may seem incredible, but the fact 
rests not upon his unsupported evidence 
alone, but is attested by the following ad- 
ditional testimony. Rev. Dr. C. 11. Ijane, 
at present a resident of this place, relates 
the following, as well as gives the reasons 
why the sound of the guns at Gettysburg 
was heard so far away, and so very indis- 
tinctly in this valley and other intermedi- 
ate places : 

Chambeksburo, Aug. I'Jth, 1884. 
Jacob Hoke, Esq., Dear Sir :— The facts re- 
ferred to in our late conversation, as I under- 
stood the matter at the time, are the following : 
The sound of the artillery at the battle of Get- 
tysburg, was heard on a mountain in the south- 
western jjart of Wyoming county, a distance 
measui'ed in a straight line of at least one hun- 
dred and twenty (120) miles. Supposing the 
alleged fact to be true, this was a very remark- 
able i^ropagation of sound and requires, 



1st. A very favorable state of atmosphere 
for the propagation of sound. 

2nd. A favorable current of air, and 

3d. Perhaps there was a cloud so situated as 
to reflect the sound to the particular locality 
where it was heard. 

Thanking you for your eftbrts to collect and 
preserve information in regard to the war, I 
remain Yours truly, 

C. 11. Lane. 

That the phenomena referred to was not 
confined to the battle of Gettysburg, but 
occurred at other great battles, will appear 
in the following from Rev. Bishop J. J. 
Glossbrenner, a resident of Churchville, 
near Staunton, in the Valley of Virginia: 

Churchville, Ya., June 19th, 1881. 
Mr. J. Hoke, Dear Sir : — In your note you 
desire me to state in writing what T communi- 
cated to you verbally some time ago. That fact 
is as follows : During the great battles about 
Eichmond, which is upwards of one hundred 
miles from here, we distinctly heard the report 
of the cannonading. 

Respectfully yours, 

J. J. Glossbrenner. 

Hon. F. M. Kimmell, at present a resi- 
dent of this i:)lace, furnishes the following 
in relation to the sound of cannonading 
at the first Bull Run engagement. 

Chambersburg. Sept. 12th, 1884. 
]Mr. J. Hoke, Dear Sir: On the 21st of 
July, 1861, I lived at Somerset, Somerset co.. 
Pa., being Sunday, distant from Cumberland, 
3rd., 37 miles by turnpike road. This latter place 
is 190 miles by rail from Baltimore, and as I 
now understand the geograjihy of the country 
190 would carry you from Cumberland to 
either Washington or liull Run in Virginia. 
This would make a distance of some 230 miles 
by the roads from Somerset to the battle field, 
or as the bird flies, or as sounds carry — 20O 
miles. Standing on a hill which overlooks the 
town, in conix«iny with others, we distinctly 
heard the "thuds" of the cannon of the battle, 
not once only nor for a short time, but often 
and at intervals extending over hours. We, 
having previously learned of the army having 
moved South, conjectured that a battle was 
being fought between the Federal and Confed- 
erate forces, and we were on the tip toe of ex- 
pectation. When the news came we found our 
conjectures fully verified, as to time and direc- 
tion. Somerset lies on the west of the main 
ridge of the Allegheny, 14 miles from the Sum- 
mit. The waters of the eastern slopes of the 
mountain at that jioint are carried by Wills 
creek to the Potomac at Cumberland, and 
thence flow to Washington City, D. C. The 
clouds during the day were impending so far 
as we could see. AYe learned that this was 
the case along the river, and my theory was, 
whether right or wrong, that the clouds con- 
fined the sounds to the valley of the Potomac, 
and sent them to the mountains upwards, as 
through a funnel. Along the AUeghenies 
above Cumberland, the sounds were heard by 
multitudes. Our congregation near the Sum- 
mit adjourned the sermon to listen. 



Remimscences of the War. 



197 



On the days of the Gettysburg fights I lived 
at Chambersburg, 25 miles from the contest, in 
which there was immense cannonading and 
never heard it at all. I don't remember the con- 
dition of the clouds, and only remember the 
facts of the first fight, because the matter was 
the subject of discussion. 

I heard or read somewhere that the sounds of 
Waterloo were heard 200 miles away. 

F. INI. IvIMiMEI.L. 

Deeming the facts of this phenomena so 
well authenticated that they could not be 
questioned, and desiring to be informed of 
the reason of the same, I communicated 
them to the officers of the Smithsonian 
Institute at Washington, E. C, and re- 
ceived the following replies. The first is 
from that eminent scientist Spencer F. 
Baird, and is as follows : 

Washington, D. (J., Sept. (j, 1884. 

hear Sir: The irregularities of sound 
transmission referred to in your letter of 
August 30, have been repeatedly observed, 
and may be thus explained : With a gen- 
tle wind, the current of air is of course 
considerably retarded near the surface of 
the earth by friction with its irregular out 
lines ; and as we rise higher the sliced is ordi- 
narily found to gradually increase for some 
hundreds of feet. The eti'ect of this partial 
retardation of the aerial current on the spheri- 
cal wave-fronts of sound, is to press forward 
their higher portions more than the lower por- 
tions — ill the direction in ivhicli the vnnd is mov- 
infj — and reversely to press back the upper 
portions of the wave-fronts more than their 
lower portions — in the opposite direction. It 
thus results that sound-rays moving icith the 
wind, tend to curve downward toward the 
earth ; and sound- rays moving ar/ainst the 
wind, tend to rise upward, and at the distance 
of a mile or so, to leave the observer in an 
acoustic "shadow" — the sounds i>assing at 
some distance above his head. This has been 
verified by climbiug to eminences, where a 
lost sound is completely recovered. Sound 
probably travels as far against the wind as 
with it, but it is refracted upward beyond the 
cars of the listener. (See the Smithsouian 
lieport for 1875, page 210. ) 

This subject was well discussed by the late 
Prof. Henry — a copy of whose "Itesearches in 
Sound" is herewith mailed to your address. 
Vou will find special reference to the abnormal 
eftects observed during connonading in battles, 
at pages 492, 493. See also pages 512, 513. 

Under certain circumstances, an intervening 
obstable — as a hill — tends to dellect sound-rays 
upward to some distance over the adjacent 
valley ; £o as to render them quite audible at a 
considerable distance, while wholly inaudible 
through the middle distance. 

Yours very respectfully, 

Spencer F. Bairu, 

Mr. J. Hoke, Secretary. 

Chambersburg, Pa. 

The reference made in the foregeing to 
Professor Henry's Researches in Sound 
rae as follows : 



"The science of acoustics in regard to the 
phenomena of sound as exhibited in limited 
spaces, has been developed with signal success. 
The laws of its production, jii'opagation, rettec- 
tion and refraction have been determined with 
much i^recision, so that we are enabled in 
most cases to explain, predict, and control the 
phenomena exhibited under given conditions. 
But in cases of loud sounds and those which 
are propagated to a great distance, such as are 
to be employed as fog-signals, considerable 
obscurity still exists. As an illustration of 
this I may mention the frequent occurrence of 
apparently abnormal phenomena. General 
Warren informs me that at the battle of Seven 
Pines, in June, 18(52, near llichmond — General 
Johnston, of the Confederate army, was within 
three miles of the scene of action with a force 
intended to attack the fiank of the Northern 
forces, and although listening attentively for 
the sound of the commencement of the engage- 
ment, the battle, which was a severe one, and 
lasting about three hours, ended without his 
having heard a single gun. (See Johnson's 
report. ) Another case of a similar kind oc- 
curred to General McClellan, at the battle of 
Gaines' Mills, ,Tune 27, 1862, also near Rich- 
mond. Although a sharp engagement was 
progessing within three or four miles for four 
or five hours, the General and his staflf were 
unaware of its occurrence, and when their at- 
tention was called to some feeble sound they 
had no idea that it was anything more than a 
skirmish of little importance. (See Report of 
the Committee on the Conductof the War. ) A 
third and perhaps still more remarkable in- 
stance is given in a skirmish between a part of 
the Second Cordis under General Warren and a 
force of the enemy. In this case the sound of 
the firing was heard more distinctly at General 
Meade's head(iuarters than it was at the head- 
quarters of the Second CorjjS itself, although 
the latter was about midway between the for- 
mer and the point of confiict. Indeed, the 
sound apiieared so near General jNIeade's cam]) 
that the im2>r(,'ssion was made that the enemy 
had gotten between it and General Warren's 
command. In fact so many instances occurred 
of wrong inii>ressions as to direction and dis- 
tance derived from the sound of guns that little 
reliance came to be placed on these indica- 
tions." 

By direction of Professor Baird the sub- 
ject was also referred to Mr. A, B. John- 
son, Chief Clerk of the Light House 
Board, who kindly favored me with the 
following : 

Washington, Sept. 10, 1884. 

Dear Sir : I have the honor to acknowledge 
the receipt of your letter of 6 Sept., '84, which 
came to hand by due course of mail. 

You state that during the battle of Gettys- 
burg, Rev. C. Cort and others distinctly heard 
the sound of the cannonading in Westmoreland 
Co., Western I'ennsylvania, in an air line 140 
miles almost west from the field of conflict, 
while during that battle, at Chambersburg, but 
24 miles west from Gettysburg, the sound of 
the guns was not heard, except indistinctly on 
the outskirts of the town. 



198 



Reminiscences of the War. 



Vou also stato that itev. Dr. Lane says that 
the sound of the cannouading at Gettysburg 
was heard in the southern jiart of Wyoming 
County, l*a., a distanee of over 120 miles north- 
east, in an air line. 

And you also say that at the instance of Pro- 
fessor Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution, 
you ask my opinion as to the cause of this 
phenomenon. 

In reply, I beg leave to say that this phe- 
nomenon has received the attention of scien- 
tists for many years. 

Dr. Derham, of England, writing in Latin 
to the British Philosophical Society in 1708, 
seemed to consider it as caused by variations 
in temperature, moisture and the direction of 
the wind. Baron von Humboldt, and after 
him Dr. Dove, Sir John Herscliel and Dr. llob- 
inson, held that aerial flocculence caused this 
phenomenon, a theory which was adopted and 
amplified by Prof. Tyndall. Prof. Joseph 
Henry, long the Director of the Smithsonian 
Institutg, has, however, presented a more 
satisfactory theory and has worked it out with 
great care by many experiments. He accept- 
ed as a good working hypothesis, the sugges- 
tions made by Professor Stokes, of Cambridge, 
England, founded upon those remarkable 
observations of the French Academician, De 
la Iloche, which, roughly stated, is this : The 
several strata into which a current of air may 
be divided, do not move with the same veloci- 
ty. The lowest stratum is retarded by friction 
against the earth ; the one immediately above, 
by friction against the lower ; hence the veloc- 
ity increases from the ground upward, and 
when the direction of tlie sound is j)erpendicu- 
lar to the sound wave, as w^hen i^rojected 
against the wind, it will be thrown upward 
ahead of the observer, and when it is projected 
with the wind it will be thrown downward 
toward the earth. 

Professor Henry tested this theory by careful 
and often repeated experiment and announced 
the results of five different phenomena, with 
his idea of their cause. One of these formula 
describes the case you cite in these words : 

"T/ie audibility of sound at a distance and its 
inaudibility nearer the source of sound." The 
cause of this aberration in audibility, he for- 
mulates thus : "Sound moving ivith the vnnd is 
refracted down toicard the earth; roldle movinfj 
against the loind it is refracted upivard and 2^ass- 
es over the head of the observer." 

You will see from my several pamphlets on 
this general subject, which I send you, that I 
have given this matter some attention, that I 
agree with Henry rather than Tyndall and 
that I liave cited a number of instances which 
have occurred under my own observation sim 
liar to those which you relate, though on a 
smaller scale — but that in each of these cases, 
the wind is blowing against, rather than with 
the sound. 

You ask me for a short statement of the rea- 
son of the phonomena you have related. In 
reply I beg to say that I am of the opinion 
that the aberration in the audibility of the 
sound of the guns at Gettysburg was caused by 
the wind ; that is the wind blowing against 
the sound waves tilted them up so that they 
first touched the earth near Chambersburg and 
then passed over it describing one or more 



curves from there to Ihe hearers in Westmore- 
land county. 

It is not improbable that the haiglh of the 
cord of the arc described by the sound wave 
was about the distance from (iettysburg to 
Chambersburg, and that the sound was heard 
at intervals of twenty-five or thirty miles fi'om 
thence to the hearers in Westmoreland county 
and maybe beyond. It would be intere.stiug to 
know if this was the case. 

An instance of this kind, though on a much 
smaller scale, is given on page 731 of ray 
pamphlet — Anomalies in the Sound of Fog 
Signals — and the curve of the sound wave 
showing the area of inaudibility in the obser- 
vations made near the White Head Light 
Station, Maine, is indicated in a rude wood 
cut on the next page. 

The battle of Gettysburg lasted about three 
days, if 1 remember it correctly ; it is possible 
that the wind during that time changed, so 
that the same reasons which would have caus- 
ed the sound of the guns to be heard in West- 
moreland county in one day, might cause them 
to be heard in Wyoming county on anotlier. 

Guns were frequently heard at a great dist- 
ance from battle fields during the War of the 
Kebellion, while they were not heard by per- 
sons comparatively near, but in the same 
direction. In one instance those near by did 
not hear the noise of the guns when they could 
see their flash. This is the first time I have 
had to consider this phenomenon when extend- 
ing over twenty-five miles. Within that 
distance, it seems to me, to be accounted for. 
When, as in this instance, the distance is five 
or six times greater, I speak with less confi- 
dence. But I do not see that the question of 
the distaiu'e changes the principle. 
Yours very truly, 

AKNOhi> B. Johnson, 

Mr. J. Hoke, C C. 

Chambersburg, Pa. 

In the publications accompanying the 
foregoing letter, Mr. Johnson has special- 
ly called attention to several places which 
he has marked as bearing directly upon 
the phenomena under consideration. 
These I annex. The first quotation states 
Professor Henry's five phenomena of 
sound, as referred to by Mr. Johnson : 

Professor Henry, in considering the results 
of General Duane's experiments, and his own, 
some of which were made in comjjany with 
Sir Frederick Arron and Capt. Webb, H. B. 
.M. Navy, both of the British Light House Es- 
tablishment, who were sent here to study and 
report on our fog signal system, formulated 
these abnormal fjheuomena. He said they 
consisted of : 

1. The audibility of a sound at a distance 
and its inaudibility nearer the source of sound. 

2. The inaudibility of a sound at a given 
distance in one direction, while a lesser sound 
is heard at the same distance in another direc- 
tion. 

.'^. The audibility at one time at a distance 
of several miles, while at another the sound 
cannot be heard at more than a fifth of the 
same distance, 

4. While the sound is generally heard 



Reminiscences of the War. 



199 



fnrtlier with the wiutl than against it, in some 
instances the reverse is the case. 

5. The sadden loss of a sound in passing 
from one locality to another in the same vicini- 
ty, the distance from the source of the sound 
being the same. 

lu illustration of the foregoing the fol- 
lowing is cited : 

There are six steam fog whistles on the 
coast of Maine ; these have been frequently 
heard at a distance of twenty miles, and as 
freqiaently cannot be heard at the distance of 
two miles, and this with no perceptable differ- 
ence in the state of the atmosphere. 

The signal is often heard at a great distance 
in one direction, while in another it will be 
scarcely audible at the distance of a mile. 
This is" not the effect of wind, as the signal is 
frequently heard much farther against the 
wind than with it ; for example, the whistle 
ou Cape Elizabeth can always be distinctly 
heard in Portland, a distance of nine miles, 
during a heavy northeast snow storm, the wind 
blowing a gale directly from Portland toward 
the whistle. 

Aberrations of Audibility, or Fog Signals. 
A parper read before the Philosonhical Society 
of Washington, Oct. 22, 1881, by Arnold B. 
Johnson, Chief Clerk of the Light House 
Board. 

In illustration of his sound-wave theory, 
Professor Henry states the following. I 
copy it from "Anomalies in the sound of 
Fog Whistles," by A. B. Johnson. 

It frequently happens on a vessel leaving a 
station that the sound (of the fog whistle) is 
suddenly lost at a point in its course, and, 
after remaining inaudible some time, is heard 
again at a greater distance, and then is gradu- 
ally lost as the distance is further increased. 
This is attributed to the upward refraction of 
the sound-wave, which passes over the head of 
the observer, and continues an upward course 
until it nearly reaches the upper svirface of the 
current wind, when the refraction will be 
reversed, and the sound sent downward to the 
earth. Or the effect may be considered as due 
to a sound-shadow produced by refraction, 
which is gradually closed in at a distance by 
the lateral spread of the sound-wave near the 
earth on either side, in a direction which is not 
affected by the ujiper refraction. Another ex- 
l)lanation may be found in the probable cir- 
(Uimstance of the lower sheet of sound beams 
being actually refracted into a serpentine or 
undulating course. 

Upon this sound-wave theory, INTr. 
Johnson, in a paper read before the Philo- 
sophical Society of Washington, said as 
follows : 

Mr. Johnson stated that this ricochetting of 
.sound, these intervals of audibility, ought to 
be recognized by the mariner, who slionld now 
understand that in sailing toward or from a 
fog .signal in full blast, lie might lose and pick 
up its sound several times though no aj>parent 
object might intervene. And the mariner 
now needed that science should deduce the 
law of this variation in audibility and liring 



out .some instrument which should be to the 
ears what the mariner's compass is to the eyes, 
and also that variations of this instrument yet 
to be invented, be provided for and corrected 
as now are the variations of the mariner's 
compass. The speaker referred to the benefit 
the mariner had deri%'ed from the promulga- 
tion of Professor Henry's theory of the tilting 
of the sound-wave up or down by adverse or 
favorable winds, and said that by this the sail- 
or had been led to go aloft in the one case and 
to get as near as possible to the surface of the 
water in the other, when trying to pick up the 
sound of a fog signal. 

Desiring to make the chapter on the 
burning of Chambersburg as complete as 
possible, I addressed letters to several Con- 
federate officers who participated in that 
event, inviting them, if they desired to 
place upon record any statement relating 
thereto, to favor me with the same, and 
have been favored with the following. 
These statements have been written ex* 
pressly for these reminiscences, and have 
never before been seen by the public. The 
first is from General J. A. Early who or- 
dered the ransom or burning of our town : 

Yellow Sulphur Springs, Virginia, \ 
September 4th, 1884. S 

J. Hoke, Esq., 5ir;— Having been from 
home since the 5th of August, your letter of 
the 6th of that month did not reach me until a 
very few days ago, when it was forwarded to 
me from Lynchburg with a number of others. 

As you desire my statement in regard to the 
burning of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, un- 
der my orders in July, 1864, I send you a copy 
of my "Memoirs of the last year of the war," 
in which you will find, on pages 66 to 70, my 
account of that afl'air. All I have to add is 
that, on my march from Lynchburg in pursuit 
of Hunter, and down the valley on the expedi- 
tion against AYashiugton, I had seen the evi- 
dences of the destruction wantonly committed 
by his troops under his orders, including the 
burning of a number of private houses without 
provocation, among them being the family res- 
idence, at Lexington, of ex-Governor Letcher ; 
also the Virginia Military Institue at the same 
place, and a part of the town of Newtown, in 
Frederick county ; and in addition there had 
been a wholesale' destruction of private proper- 
ty, including even the wearing apparel of la- 
dies and bed clothing, the beds in many cases 
being cut to pieces and the feathers scattered to 
the winds. In addition, there had been thede- 
.struction of several towns in the South by Fed- 
eral troojis, among them being the town of 
Darien, in Georgia, in the year 1803. When, 
therefore, on my return from the expedition 
threatening Washington, 1 found that Hunter, 
who had reached the lower valley on the Balti- 
more and <,)hio railroad, after his flight to the 
Kanawa Yalley, had been engaged in his accus- 
tomed work, and had burned the valuable res- 
idences of .several citizens of Jeflterson county, 
I determined to demand compensation therefor 
from .some town in Pennsylvania, and in the 
event of failure to comply with my demand to 
retaliate by burning said town. The town of 



200 



Reminiscences of the War. 



('hambersbnrg was selected because it. was tlie 
only one of any consequence accessible to my 
troops, and for no other reason. The houses 
mentioned with their contents, all of which 
were destroyed, were fully worth at least $100,- 
000 in gold, and I required ?!500,000 in Ihiited 
States currency in the altei*native, for the rea- 
son that the saiel currency was rapidly depre- 
ciating, being then nearly three to one in gold, 
and T desired to secure the full equivalent of 
?100,000 in gold. T will add that according to 
the laws of retaliation in war, I would have 
been fully justified in burning Chambersburg 
without giving the town a chance of redemp- 
tion. 

Compare the expedition of Hunter into \'ir- 
ginia in June, 18(54, the campaign of Sherman 
in Georgia and South (Carolina, of iianks in the 
trans-Mississippi, and Sheridan in the Valley 
of Virginia, with that of (ieneral Lee in Penn- 
sylvania, leaving out of (>onsideration Beast 
Butler's performances in New Orleans, and 
then say whether the denunciiitions of those 
who applaud the destroyer of Atlanta, Georgia, 
and Columbia, South Carolina, and him who 
boasted that, besides burning the town of Day- 
ton, he had so desolated the valley as that a 
crow flying over it would have to carry its ra- 
tions, should have any terror for me? 
Respectfully, 

J. A. Early. 

Acoompanying the foregoing letter was 
a pamphlet of 130 pages entitled '■''A Me- 
moir of the Last year of the War for In- 
dependence in the Confederate States oj 
America^ containing an account of the op- 
erations of his commands in the years 
ISO4 and 1S65, by Lieutenant- General Ju- 
bal A. Early of the Provisional Army of 
the Confederate States,'" from which I 
cjpy entire the General's own account of 
the '•^ Expeditioninto Maryland and Penn- 
sylvania and the Burning of Chamber s- 
hiirg :'''' 

On the 26th (July) we moved to Martins- 
barg, the cavalry going to the Potomac. The 
2rth and 28th were employed in destroying the 
railroad, it having been repaired since we 
passed over it at the beginning of the month. 
While at Martinsburg, it was ascertained, be- 
yond all doubt, that Hunter had been again in- 
dulging in his favorite mode of warfare and 
that, after his return to the valley, while we 
were near Washington, among other outrages, 
the private residences of Mr. Andrew Hunter, 
a member of the Virginia Senate, Mr. Alexan- 
der R. Boteler, an ex-member of the Confeder- 
ate Congress, as well as of the United States 
Congress, and Edmund I. Lee, a distant rela- 
tive of General Lee, all in Jeflferson county, 
with their contents, had been burned by his or- 
ders, only time enough being given for the la- 
dies to get out of the houses. A number of 
towns in the South, as well as private country 
houses, had been burned by the Fedei'al troops 
and the accounts had been heralded forth in 
some of the Northern i^apers in terms of exul- 
tation, and gloated over by their readers, while 
they were received with apathy by others. I 
now come to the conclusion that we had stood 
this mode of warfare long enough, and that it 



was time to open the eyes of the i>eople of the 
North to its enormity by an example in the 
way of retaliation. I did not select the cases 
mentioned, as having more merit or greater 
claims for retaliation than others, but because 
they had occurred within the limits of the 
country covei'ed by my command, and were 
brought more immediately to my attention. 

The town of Chambersburg, in Pennsylva- 
nia, was selected as the one on which retalia- 
tion should be made, and McCausland was or- 
dered to proceed with his brigade and that of 
Johnson and a battery of artillery to that 
tilace, and demand of the municipal authori- 
ties the sum of iplUO.OOO in gold or $500,000 in 
I'nited States currency, as a compensation for 
the destruction of houses named and their con- 
tents ; and, in default of payment, to lay the 
town in ashes, in retaliation for the burning of 
those houses and others in Virginia, as well as 
for the towns which had been burned in other 
Southern States. A written demand to that ef- 
fet^t was sent to the municipal authorities, and 
they were infi)rmed what would be the result 
of a failure or refusal to comply with it. 1 de- 
sired to give the people of Chamber.sburg an 
opportunity of saving their town by making 
compensation for ]iart of the injury done, and 
hoi)ed that the i»ayment of such a sum would 
have the desiird cUcct, and open the eyes of the 
people of other tcnvns at the North to the ne- 
ces.sity of urging upon their government the 
adoption of a different policy. McCausland 
was al.so directed to proceed from Chambers- 
burg towards Cumberland in Maryland, and 
levy contributions in money upon that and oth- 
er towns able to bear them, and if possible de- 
stroy the machinery at the coal pits near Cum- 
berland, and the machine shops, depots and 
bi-idges on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad as 
far as practicable. 

On the 29th McCausland crossed the Poto- 
mac near Clear Spring, above Williamsport, 
and I moved with Rodes' and Ramseur's divi- 
sions and Vaughan's cavalry to the latter 
place, while Imboden demonstrated with his 
and Jackson's cavalry towards Harper's Ferry 
in order to withdraw attention from McCaus- 
land. Breckinridge remained at Martinsburg 
and continued the destruction of the railroad. 
Vaughan drove a force of cavalry from Wil- 
liamsport, and went into Hagerstowu, where he 
captured and destroyed a train of cars loaded 
with supplies. One of Rodes' brigades was 
crossed over at Williamsport and subsequently 
withdrawn. On the 30th, McCausland being 
well under way, I moved back to Martinsburg, 
and on the 31st the whole infantry force was 
moved back to Bunker Hill, where we remain- 
ed on the 1st, 2nd and 3d of August. 

On the 4th, in order to enable McCausland to 
retire from Pennsylvania and Maryland, and 
to keep Hunter, who had been reinforced by 
the Gth and 19th corps, and had been oscillat- 
ing between Harper's Ferry and Monocacy 
Junction, in a state of uncertainty, I again 
moved to the Potomac with the infimtry and 
Vaughan's and Jackson's cavalry, while Imbo- 
den demonstrated towards Harper's Ferry. On 
the 5th Rodes' and Ramseur's divisions cross- 
ed at Williamsport and took position near St. 
James' College, and Vaughan's cavalry went 
into Hagerstowu. Breckenridge, with his com- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



io\ 



maud, aud Jackson's cavalry crossed at Shep- 
herdstovvu, and took position at Sharpsburg. 
I'his position is in full view from Maryland 
Heights, and a cavalry force was sent by the 
enemy to reconnoitre which, after skirmishing 
witli Jackson's cavalry, was driven off by the 
sharpshooters of Gordon's division. On the 
(>th, the whole force re-crossed the Potomac at 
Williamsport, and moved towards Martins- 
burg ; and on the 7th he returned to Bunker 
Hill. 

On the 30th of July McCausland reached 
Chambersburg, and made the demand as di- 
rected, reading to such of the authorities as 
presented themselves, the paper sent by me. 
The demand was not complied with, the people 
stating that they were not afraid of having 
their town burned, and that a Federal force 
was approaching. The policy pursued by our 
army on former occasions had been so lenient, 
that they did not supjiose the threat was in 
earnest this time, and they hoped for speedy 
I'elief. McCausland, however, jiroceeded to 
carry out his orders, and the greater part of the 
town was laid in ashes. He then moved in the 
direction of Cumberland, biit on approaching 
that town, he found it defended by a force un- 
der Kelly too strong for him to attack, and he 
withdrew towards Hampshire county in Vir- 
ginia, and crossed the Potomac near the moutli 
of the South Branch, capturing the garrison at 
that place and partially destroying the railroad 
bridge. He then invested the post on the rail- 
road at New Creek, but finding it too strongly 
fortified to take by assault, he moved to Moore- 
field, in Hardy county, near which place he 
halted to rest and recruit his men and hor.ses as 
the command was now considered safe from 
pursuit. Averill. however, had been pursuing 
from Chambersburg with a body of cavalry, 
and Johnson's brigade was surprised in camp, 
before day, on the morning of the 7th of Au- 
gust, and routed by Averill's force. This re- 
sulted also in the rout of McCausland's bri- 
gade, and the loss of artillery (4 pieces) and 
about three hundred prisoners from the whole 
command. The balance of tlie command made 
its way to ]Mount Jackson in great disorder 
and much weakened. This affair had a very 
damaging effect ui)on my cavalry for the i-e.st 
of the campaign. 

In order to give General Early the 
whole benefit of his own account of the 
outrages alleged to have been wantonly 
committed by the command under (lener- 
al Hunter, I quote also several foot notes 
in his pamphlet detailing .scenes witnessed 
in his pursuit of that force, and on his 
raarcli down the valley towards the Poto- 
mac. 

Hunter's delay in advancing from Staunton 
had been most remarkable, andean be account- 
ed for only by the fact, that indulgence in petty 
acts of malignity and outrage upon private cit- 
izens was more congenial to his nature than 
bold operations in the field. He liad defeated 
. I ones' small force at Piedmont about ten 
miles from Staunton, on the j'th, aud united 
with Crook on the xth, yet lie did not arrive in 
front of Lynchburg until near nighton the 17tli. 
Tilt' route from Staunton ti> l.yncliluirg by 



which he moved, which was by Lexington, 
iiuclianan, the Peaks of Otter, and Liberty, is 
about one himdred miles in distance. It is 
true McCausland liad delayed his progress by 
keeping constantly in his front, and an energet- 
ic advance would have brushed away ^tcCaus- 
land's small force, and Lynchi)urg, witli all its 
manufacturing establishments and stores, 
would have fallen before assistance arrived. 
A subsequent passage over the greater part of 
the same route showed how Hunter had been 
employed. (Pages 43, 44. ) 

The scenes on Hunter's route from Lynch- 
burg had been truly heartrending. Houses 
had been burned, and helpless women and 
children left without shelter. The country had 
been strijiped of provisions, and many families 
left without a morsel to eat. Furniture and 
bedding had been cut to pieces, and old men 
and women and children, robbed of all the 
clothing they had except that on their backs. 
I^adies' trunks had been rifled and their dress- 
es torn to pieces in mere wantonness. Even 
the negro girls had lost their little finery. We 
had renewed evidence of the outrages commit- 
ted by Hunter's orders in burning and jilun- 
dering private houses. We saw the ruins of a 
number of houses to which the torch had been 
applied by his orders. At Lexington he had 
burned the Military Institute, with all its con- 
tents, including its library and scientific appa- 
ratus ; and Washington College had been 
plundered and the statue of Washington stolen. 

The residence of ex-Governor Letcher at that 
place had been burned by orders, and but a 
few minutes given Mrs. Letcher and her fami- 
ly to leave the house. In the same county a 
most excellent Christian gentleman, a Mr. 
Creigh, had been hung because, on a former 
occasion he had killed a straggling and ma- 
rauding Federal soldier in the act of insulting 
and outraging the ladies of the family. These 
are but some ot the outrages committed by 
Hunter or his orders, and I will not in.sult the 
memory of the ancient barbarians of the North 
by calling them "acts of Vandalism." Tfthe.se 
old barbarians were savage and cruel, they at 
least had the manliness and daring of rude 
soldiers, with occasional traits of magnanimity. 
Hunter's deeds were those of a malignant and 
cowardly fanatic, who was better qualified to 
make war upon helpless women and children 
than upon armed soldiers. The time consum- 
ed in the perpetration of those deeds, was the 
salvation of Lynchburg, with its .stores, foun- 
<lries and factories, which were so necessary fn 
the army at Richmond. (Page 48.) 

Again General Early says, on page 5(i: 

On this day (.Inly 2d) we pas.sed through 
Newtown where several houses, including that 
of a Methodist minister, had been burned by 
Hunter's orders, because a part of Mosby's 
command had attacked a train of supplies for 
Sigel's force at this place. The original order 
was to burn the whole town, but the officer 
sent to execute it had revolted at the cruel 
mandate of his superior, and another had 
been sent who but i)artially executed it, 
after having forced the peojile to take 
an oath of allegiance to the I'nited States 
to .save their hou.ses. jNIosby's battalion, 
tlioiigli called "guerillas" by the eiiemy, was a 



202 



Reminiscences of the War. 



regular organization in the ('onfederale army, 
and was merely serving on detached duty 
under General Lee's orders. The attack on the 
train was an act of legitimate warfare, and the 
order to burn Newtown, and the burning of 
the houses mentioned, were most wanton, 
cruel, unjusiitiable and cowardly. 

In a foot note on page 72 General Early 
disclainas all responsibility for the burninj; 
of the house of Postmaster General Blair, 
in the neighborhood of Washington while 
on his raid to that place. He says that he 
had nothing to do with that act, and is yet 
in ignorance as to how the burning occur- 
red, and if done by any of his men it was 
not by any orders, but in retaliation for 
some wrong done them in the Valley of 
Virginia. 

On page 67 he further says : "1 had 
often seen delicate ladies who had been 
plundered, insulted and rendered desolate 
by the acts of our most atrocious enemies, 
and while they did not call for it, yet in 
the anguished expressionsof their features 
while narrating their misfortunes, there 
was a mute appeal to every manly senti- 
ment of my bosom for retribution which I 
could no longer withstand.'" 

In a foot note to his account of the burn- 
ing of Chambersburg, on page 70, already 
given. General Early assumes the entire 
responsibility for the destruction of our 
town in the following words : 

For this act 1 alone am responsible, as the 
officers engaged in it were simply executing 
my orders, and had no discretion left them. 
Notwithstanding the lapse of time which has 
occurred, and the results of the war, I am per- 
fectly satisfied with my conduct on this occa- 
sion, and see no reason to regret it. 

From General Early's statements the 
following facts are established : 

1. That by General Hunter's orders or 
permission, great devastation ot private 
property was wrought in the Valley of 
Virginia. His account is substantially 
the same as General Imboden's in Annafs 
of the War, although not so extensive and 
full. General Imboden's account covers 
fifteen pages of that book. 

2. The opinion held by some that one 
of the reasons, if not the principal one, 
why (!hambersburg was destroyed, was 
because John Brown had made it his head- 
(|uarters prior to his raid upon Harper's 
Kerry, is entirely disproved. General 
Early declares emphatically that Cham- 
bersburg was selected for retaliation 
because it was "the only town ofanj'conse- 
(luence accessible to my (his) troo^w, and 
./o?" no other reason.'''' 

8. The question as to what CJonfederate 
force drove (dole's Maryland Cavalry from 
Williamsport to Hagerstovvn on Friday, 
July 2!tth, and subsequently on the same 
day entered that place, dispersing those 



men and burning the cars loaded with 
government stores, is solved. It was a 
force of cavalry under General Vaughan. 

4. The occasion of the fright of our peo- 
ple on Black Friday, August oth, as pre- 
viously stated, when it was reported that 
the Confederates were again returning to 
complete the destruction of our town, was 
the approach ofVaughan's cavalry, which 
on that day recrossed the Potomac and en- 
tered Hagerstown. It will thus be seen 
that the fears of our people were not en- 
tirely groundless. 

5. In the presence of llodes' and 
Ramseur's divisions of infantry at Wil- 
liamsport, Vaughan 's cavalry in Hagers- 
town, and Imboden and Jackson threaten- 
ing to cross the Potomac at Harper's 
Ferry, on Friday, July 20th, and all 
threatening Averill from the South, the 
reason for his moving eastwardly from 
Greencastte to Greenwood before turning 
his column towards this place on the 
morning of the oOth, when our town was 
burned, will appear. He was evidently 
afraid of being caught between those 
forces and McCausland's. 

6. The demoralization of McCausland's 
cavalry and their almost utter worth less- 
ness for the balance of the war, after their 
defeat and rout at Moorfield on August 
7th, as admitted by General Early, is an- 
other evidence of the demoralizing effect 
of permitting soldiers to pillage and plun- 
der while in the enemy's country. The 
condition of General Hunter's command, 
after its plundering and burning expedi- 
tion up the Valley of Virginia is another 
illustration of the same fact. 

7. General Early states the whole loss 
in prisoners from McCausland's command 
by the affair at Moorfield Valley, as three 
hundred. Another Confederate, who par- 
ticipated in the affair, and whose account 
will follow, says : ^'- About five hundred of 
our brigade were capUired.'''' The brigade 
referred to was General Bradley T. John- 
son's, and no reference is made to the loss 
sustained by McCausland's own brigade. 
Mr. Slingluff^— whose statement is to 
follow — may mean that the whole loss 
in prisoners in the entire command 
was five hundred. At all events the dif- 
ference in the two statements shows that 
General Early errs in this case, and if 
wrong in this instance, is it not fair to 
suppose that he is also wrong in other 
statements touching the number of his 
forces. lu no other way can we account 
for some of the statements given in his 
pamphlet ; notably his estimate of the 
force he led in his raid through Maryland 
to the National Capital, which he gives as 
only about eight thousand. 

For the following paper relating to the 
burning of Cliambersburg, I am indebted 



Reminiscences of tJie War. 



20' 



t<» JNlr. KpLraim Hilesbew, ol" Ihis place, 
who, at my solicitatiou, i)revaileil upon 
Ibe geutlotuan, whose uame it bears, to 
furuisb it for these reminisceuces. It was 
written by F. A. Slingluti*, Es(|.,au At- 
torney residing in the city of Baltimore. 
Mr. iSiingluff was present at the destrnc- 
tion of our town, and took some part in 
that event, and now presents an account 
thereof from the standpoint of a Confed- 
erate soldier. His statement will be read 
with interest by our people : 

J5ALT1M014E, August 1st, 1884. 

ICl'HKAIM HlTESHEW, ES(i., CHAMHEKS- 

HURc;, Pa., Mxj Dear Sir : — I have received the 
papers, sent me by you, contaiuin^ Mr. Hoke's 
reminiscences of the burning of Chambers- 
bnrg, and have carefully read them. At your 
request I will give you uiy recollection of the 
events which immediately i^receded ami follow- 
ed that occurrence. 

I write from the standpoint of the private 
soldier, having had no knowledge of the rea- 
sons which dictated official orders at the time, 
nor had my associates. We simply obeyed or- 
ders. 

I do not iiretend to give dates, distances, 
names of places, of persons, or localities, with 
precision. Twenty years is a long span in a 
man's life, and as I passed through many stirr- 
ing events during the war, this one did not 
make as great an imiiression ujion inn as it did 
upon those who immediately sutiered from it. 

1 believe though, that that twenty years has 
so curbed and tempered the excitement of ear- 
ly manhood, and mollified the passions and re- 
sentments of war, that I can write calmly and 
without bias on the subject. At least such will 
be my endeavor. At the same time I shall not 
hesitate to speak frankly and freely from my 
standi)oint. To do less would render valuless 
for the purposes of irajjartial history, anything 
which I might say. 

]\Ir. Hoke's articles are as temperate as possi- 
ble from one whose house was burned by an en- 
<;my, and as he thinks without justificatiou. 
It is true he calls us villains occasionally, and 
says we seemed accustomed to the business 
from the expert way in which we proceeded to 
the task. I will not quarrel with him for thi.s, 
but I think it proper to take a look at these vil- 
lains to see who they were then, and what they 
are now. I was a young man not yet arrived 
at maturity. I had just left college, when 1 
joined the confederate army. When I man.hed 
for Chambersburg I belonged to the 1st Mary- 
laud ca\alry. This regiment was composed of 
the very first young men of our State. If they 
were not guided by the strongest instincts of 
principle in going into the southern army, and 
staying there, thej' were certainly a very pecu- 
liar set of young men, for there was anything 
but pleasure and comfort in our lives. We 
were generally hungry, slept often, winter and 
summer, in the open air on the ground, got no 
pay that we could buy anything with, were 
scantily clad, and were apt to be killed, sooner 
or later, in battle. I believe the unbiased man 
must say this was patriotism, although he can 
if he wishes, reconcile his conscience by calling 
it "misguided patriotism." And you may be 



siirpiised to know tliat these young "villains" 
have generally tleveloped into gootl citizens, 
anil successful men. (Jo where you choose 
through our State, and you will fiml them re- 
spected and at the head of the communities in 
which they live. In business I can name you 
a dozen of the leading houses in this city whose 
members Avere with .Johnson and INLcC'ausland, 
when your city was l)urn((l. The bar through- 
out the State is full of them, and they ai-e in 
many cases among the leaders of their circuits. 
They are doctors in good standing in their pro- 
fession and many of the most thrifty farmers 
in this State, whose tine farms attest their de- 
votion to duty and to home, especially in such 
counties as Howard and Montgomery, were 
also present on that occasion. 

Tn addition to our regiment, there were five 
or six others in the brigade, most of them from 
southwest Virginia, and the valley of Virginia. 
The men who composed these regiments were 
the substantial citizens of their respective coun- 
ties, and w'ould compare favorably with the 
like number of men selected from any agricul- 
tural community in our country. 

Now you would like to know if the men 
whom I have described justified the burning 
of your town, in their individual capacity, ir- 
respective of the orders from headquarters, un- 
der which they acted. I must say to you frank- 
ly that they did, and I never heard one dissent- 
ing voice. And why did we justify so harsh a 
measure? Simply because we had long come 
to the conclusion that it was time for us to burn 
something in the (iuemy's country. For the 
campaign of the preceding year, when our 
whole army had passed through your richest 
section of country, where the peaceful homes 
and fruitful fields only made the contrast with 
what he had left the more significant, many a 
man, whose home was in ruins, chafed under 
the orders from General Lee, which forbade 
him to touch them, but the orders were obeyed 
and we left the homes and fields as we found 
them, the ordinary wear and tear of an army 
of occupation alone excepted. We had so of- 
ten before our eyes the reverse of this whei'eev- 
er your army swe])t through Virginia, that we 
were thoroughly convinced of the justice of a 
stern retaliation. 

It is no pleasure to me to have to recall the 
scenes of those days, nor do I do so in any spirit 
of vindictiveness, l>ut 1 simply tell the truth in 
justification of an act which ISIr. Hoke claims 
was without justification. M'e had followed 
Kilpatrick (1 think it was) in his raid through 
Madison, (Jreene and other counties, and had 
seen the cattle shot, or hamstrung in the barn- 
yards, the agricultural implements burned, the 
feather beds and clothing of the women and 
children cut in shreds in mere wantonness ; 
farm house after farm house stripped of every 
particle of provisions, private carriages cut and 
bi'oken up, and women in tears lamenting all 
this. I do not put down here anything that 1 
did not see myself. Wa had seen a thousand 
ruined homes in Clark, Jefferson and Freder- 
ick counties — barns and houses burned and 
private property destroyed — but we had no 
knowledge that this was done by "official or- 
ders." At last when the official order came 
openly from (leneral Hunter, and the burning 
was done thereunder, and when our orders of 



204 



Raniniscences of the War. 



riitaliiitiuii ciiiir', llic.\' mi't wilhlJio iippruba- 
lion, as I liave said, of r\ery man who crossed 
I lie l^otoiiiac to execute tlii;iii. 

< )f course we Lad nothing i>ersonal against 
your pretty little town. It just so bappeued 
that it was the nearest and most accessible 
l)lacc of importance for us to get to. It was 
the unfortunate victim of circumstances. Had 
it been fuither oft" and some other town nearer, 
that other town would have gone, and Cham- 
bersburg would have been savtnl. 

And now having given you the feelings and 
motives which actuated us, i)ermit me to give 
my views of how your people felt about the af- 
fair. I must be iVank enough to say that I 
think the reason the tribute demanded of you 
was not paid, was because your people had no 
idea that the rebels would carry out their threat 
to burn ; nor was this confidence shaken until 
the smoke and flames began to ascend. I know 
that this is directly in the teeth of Hoke's 
tribute to the patriotism of his fellow-towns- 
men, that sooner than pay money to the rebels, 
they saw their homes laid in ashes, but he is 
himself a little illogical, for he gives greater 
condemnation to a cruel enemy for burning out 
a helpless people after they had shown to them 
that the banks had removed their dej^osits, and it 
was impossible for them to get the money de- 
manded. Had your people believed that the town 
Avas actually in danger I think they could have 
raised enough money to have avoided the catas- 
trophe. Why this confidence of security ? It 
grew out of the position taken by your people 
during the war, that we were rebels, soon to be 
conquered, and that whatever cruelties were 
inflicted upon the homes of these rebels were 
in the nature of penalties for rebellious conduct 
and that such like acts would never dare to be 
attempted against loyal men. It was further 
strengthened by the fact, that when the whole 
rebel army was in your State, no atrocities 
were committed. I saw this confidence, al- 
most amounting to contempt, on our march to 
your town, and in the town itself, when the ne- 
gotiations, preliminary to the fire, were in pro- 
gress. I happened with a comrade or two, to 
get behind the command on the march to the 
town, and in passing through a village of some 
size (I think it was Mercersburg, ) the knots of 
men on the corners poked fun at our appear- 
ance, and jeered us, and never seemed to con- 
sider that the men ujion whom they expended 
their fun had pistols and sabres in their belts, 
and might use them. The strange part of the 
matter to us was too see able-bodied young men 
out of the service— a sight never seen in the 
South during the war. In Chambersburg it- 
self, it seemed impossible to convince your peo- 
ple that we were in earnest. They treated it as a 
joke, or thought it was a mere threat to get 
money, and showed their sense of security and 
and incredulity in every act. When the two 
brigades of Confederate cavalry marched into 
your town, the order <;ame for certain regi- 
ments and jjortion of regiments to enter and 
burn it. Our regiment, as a whole, according 
to the best of my recollection, was not sent in 
but there were several detachments from it, on 
dift'erent kinds of duty sent there, and I was 
with one of them. It was afterward a source 
of congratulation to our men that they had not 
been detailed for the purpose, for although they 



regarded it as a jiroper measure of retaliation, 
they did not seek the unpleasant task. The 
men who actually ai»j)lieil the torch may be 
classed in three divisions: First, those whose'own 
homes had been ravaged, or destroyed, or whose 
relations had suftered in that way. Thttse men 
were anxious for the work to begin, and the 
spirit of revenge which actuated them made 
them ap])arently merciless. There weri; many 
such in the brigade. Second, the far larger 
])ortion who simjily obeyed orders, as .soldiers, 
and who saved what they could, and to who.st! 
humaidty and liberal construction of the or- 
ders given them, no doubt you must be thank- 
ful for the portion of the city that was saved. 
Thirdly, the men to be found in all 
armies who looked upon the occasion as 
an opportunty to plunder and who re- 
joiced in wanton destruction. This last 
element was, I am glad to say, small, but I 
have no doubt to those who unfortunately came 
in contact with them, they were but types of 
the whole command. 

As T had never seen the town before, and did 
not know the names of your streets, I can give 
you no detailed account of the burning. After 
it began it was quickly done. Mew plead to 
have their own houses saved, but the women 
acted in a much calmer manner, after they un- 
derstood the thing was inevitable, and in some 
cases excited our admiration by their courage 
and defiance. I saw a number of houses fired, 
but I saw no abuse of the citizens. Through 
the scenes of terror which your people jiassed I 
have read IVIr. Hoke's annals in vain to find 
mention of an unarmed citizen injured, or a 
women insulted. Some of the men became in- 
flamed with liquor, but I believe they were 
few. The most usual method of burning was 
to break the furniture into splinters ; pile in 
the middle of the floor and then fire it. This 
was done in the beginning but as the fire be- 
came general, it was not necessai-y, as one 
house set fire to the other. Most of the houses 
were vacant when tired, the occupants having 
fled. When the command was given to retire 
it was quickly done. One little incident which 
happened after we left the town will illustrate 
all I have said about the feeling which actuated 
many of our soldiers. I think it was two or 
three miles from the town (it may have been 
more, or less) some of us halted for a few min- 
utes to get a drink and perhaps something to 
eat. A brick farm house, with a porch, was 
located on the road, with a ])ump to the side of 
it. Not far oft' was what we called a Pennsyl- 
vania "Dutch barn," larger than the house. 
It was full of the recently gathered harvest, 
and bore all the evidences of a plentiful yield 
to a good farmer. I hitched my horse to the 
lightning rod on the side of the barn next to 
the house, and was just returning to get him 
when some one cried "fire." In an instant the 
barn was in flames. I had hardly time to un- 
hitch my horse. Some of our party demanded 
in angry tones of two troopers who came from 
the barn, and mounted their horses, what they 
meant by such uncalled for vandalism. The 
reply was, "Why, damn it, they burnt our 
barn," and on they rode. 

But I am making this letter longer than nec- 
essary, and must hurry on. 
. One word about what happened after 



Reminiscences of the War. 



205 



(nif rcd-ciit. INlr. Ilukc scoiiis to think tliat IIk; 
I'l'iir ul" Averill was iippeniiost in our iniuds. 
This is ;i niistiike. Whatever may have been 
the motives that actuated the eummanding 
otttcers, the men did not fear him at all. They 
had perfect confidence that they couUl whip 
him whenever he thought proper to t;iv<! us 
the opportunity, and any soldier will tell you 
that a feeling like that means victory. At one 
little town we stopped to feed our horses and 
rest. His columns were in sight but no attack 
was made. As we passed through Hancock, 
his advance tired into our rearguard and made 
a little dash at us. 1 saw in this little tight, 
Harry Gilmor, who was the last man to leave 
the town, struck, and severely stung by a spent 
ball, which made him whistle with pain. We 
also heard on the retreat that some of our men 
had been left in Chambersburg drunk, and had 
been thrown in the flames by the citizens, and 
burned to death. This was camp gossip with 
us, but I never heard it verified. We crossed 
the Potomac with some little opposition from 
an iron clad car in our front on tne track of the 
B. & O. R. T{., which was struck by a ball, fir- 
ed by the Baltimore Light Infantry and imme- 
diately left. We also had (^uite a severe little 
fight in the Blue Eidge mountains, near Cold 
Spring, on the advance, in which several from 
our regiment were killed and wounded, and in 
which a body of your cavalry showed great 
spirit and determination, but aside from this we 
had no fighting at all. 1 dislikeagain todestroy 
a thrilling episode in Mr. Hoke's very clev- 
erly written annals, but the truth compels me 
to do so. He says when Averill came up to 
lis in the JSIoorefield A'alley, and captured and 
scattered our command, that they charged us 
with the cry of "Remember Chambersburg," 
and cut us down without mercy. The fact is 
we wei'c down when he charged us. I will 
give you the plain, prosaic facts, of which 1 
was the unfortunate witness and victim. 
After we recrossed the Potomac, we marched to 
the Mooretield Valley to rest and recuperate, 
after a severe campaign. There is no lovelier 
spot in all Virginia than this little mountain- 
locked valley, and as it had escaped the desola- 
tion of war it was the very spot for rest. Our 
regiment was camped nearest the river, and 
the company to which 1 belonged was nearest 
the river of all. JNIy messmate and myself had 
crossed the fence from the field in which the 
regiment was camped, to make our bed in a soft 
green fence corner, so that I belieAa- we were 
the nearest of the whole brigade to the enemy. 
We had been camped quietly for a day or two, 
when in the middle of the night the order came 
to "saddle up." We soon were ready for a re- 
ported advance of the enemy, but after waiting 
an hour or two with no hirther orders, the 
men gradually got under their blankets, and 
went to sleep. Just at the break of day I felt 
a rude shock, which 1 supposed came from the 
careless tread of a comrade, and I made an angry 
remonstrance. This was followed by a kick, 
which I thought came from a horse. 1 furiously 
threw the blanket from over my head and found 
a couple of Averill's men, with cocked pistols 
at my head, one of whom said: "Get up you 

il d Chambersburg burning s n of a 

b ." I got up at once, and at this moment 

had Mr. Hoke been there he would have been 



delighted, fur 1 luildly intimated that I had 
nothing to do with the burning of Chambers- 
burg and considered it altogether wicked and 
uiijustiliable. As soon as 1 collected my 
thoughts 1 took in the situation at a glance. 1 
saw^ the blue black column of Averill, winding 
down the road and breaking off into the fields 
where our men slept. I saw them to my utter 
humiliation and disgust dashing in among our 
men and w^aking them up from their sleej). 
Some of our command, who had heard the 
rush of the charge, succeeded in mountingtheir 
horses and escaping. With such, some shots 
were exchanged, but the greater part of our 
regiment was caught asleep and captured with- 
out firing a shot. A complete answer to the 
statement adopted by Mr. Hoke, is, that not 
one of my regiment (to the best of my recollec- 
tion) was killed or wounded, and as I have 
already stated, they were the nearest to the 
enemy, and received the first shock of the 
charge. Further on down the road, where the 
shouts of combat had aroused the other portions 
of the brigade, and they had time to rally to 
some extent, there was fighting, and some of 
onr men were killed, and I saw some of Aver- 
ill's wounded brought to the rear, but our rout 
was complete and irretrievable, and the rallies, 
as I afterwards heard, were without vigor on 
our ijart. As soon as tlie comrade with whom 
J was sleeping (a cousin of mine, now in busi- 
ness in this city) and myself had given up our 
arms, the usual and almost invariable compli- 
ments i^assed on such occasions, took place. 
"I want them boots," said trooper No. 1. I 
had just got them in Hancock a day or so 
before, and as they wer<" regular cavalry boots, 
and worth with us at least .|>150 to $200 in Con- 
federate money, it nearly broke my heart t<> 
Itart with them. But the occasion was pressing 
and they were soon exchanged for a very sorry 
looking pair. ]My hat, which was also a recent 
.Maryland acquisition, with a martial black 
plume, was appropriated by trooper No. 2. The 
object with which he replaced it was a much 
ereater insult to my dignitj' than the loss of my 
boots. My pockets were carefully investigated, 
but that part of the raid was a complete failure. 
1 was not at all surprised at their attentions, 
for, as I have said above, the custom was a 
general; one, and 1 had myself paid the same 
compliment to my guests when the situation 
was reversed. And how was it that the burn- 
ers of Chambersburg wei-e thus ignominiously 
routed, scattered and captured by a foe w horn 
I have said, they despised. The answer is a 
simple one. It was through the carelessness of 
our commanding officer, and was inexcusable. 
It happened in this way, and 1 am again iu a 
position to give the exact facts. When we 
camped iu the little valley, a detail was called 
on for picket duty. • That duty fell to the lot of 
Lieut. J. G. Bonn, of my company. No truer 
man or more charming gentleman ever wore a 
sabre in our cavalry, than he. After the war 
h(' settled in ^Macon, Georgia, became a pros- 
perous merchant, and died some years ago. 
He went out on the picket post with about ten 
men, some two or three miles from our camp. 
This was the only guard between Averill and 
our sleeping men, and it must be remembered 
that when this little band went on the outpost 
they were worn out with the fatigues of the 



2o6 



RemiitisceiLces of iJie War. 



nearly iiicesHHUt iiiiuvliiiiy fur Uicrourur live 
previous days ami nights. Ho wwirit'd wi,i<' 
t,hc iiieu that aftcn- tht'ir tirst night's duty 
liieut. Bonn seut word back to camp and beg- 
ged to be relieved, stating that liis nieu were 
absolutely uuHt tor duty. I take it for granted 
this message was sent to headquarters, but 
wliether it was or not it was an nnjustitiable 
piece of cruelty to keep those wearied men on 
duty. His apjjeal was unheeded. He told me 
after the surjirise was over, that the men on 
the outpost actually went to sleep upon their 
horses, and that in addition to all this no pro- 
vision was made for their rations. While in 
this condition, just before the dawn of day, 
they heard the welcome sound of what they 
supposed was the relief picket coming from our 
camp, and soon they welcomed twenty or thir- 
ty troopers in gray in their midst. Their re- 
joicing was short-lived for, as their sujiposed 
friends surrounded them they quickly drew 
their revolvers and in an instant our men were 
prisoners. To run down the outpost of two 
men was the work of a moment, and then 
there was nothing between Averill and the 
men who burned Chambersburg but a few mo- 
ments of darkness and a couple of miles of 
dusty road. These men in gray were what, in 
those days were known as "Jesse Scouts." 
They were familiar with the country — knew 
the little mountain roads and had" clothed 
themselves in the Confederate gray and had 
managed to slip in between our main body 
and the picket post and then played the part 
of the "relief." 

As we were captured we were gathered to- 
gether in a circle, and soon poor Bonn with 
his pickets were brought in looking unhappy 
and dejected. He felt keenly the responsibility 
of his position, but after his story was told no 
one ever attached any blame to him. About 
live hundred of our brigade were captured and 
taken to Camp Chase, Ohio, where for eight long 
miserable, weary months we bewailed the day 
that Chambersburg w-as founded, builded and 
Durued. < )ne more little episode, in which 1 am 
happy to say, I agree with Mr. Hoke's state- 
ment, and 1 am done. When we arrived at 
Hancock, tribute was also laid on that little 
town, and it was soon rumored in our regiment 
that, in default thereof, INIcCausland had de- 
termined to burn it. The sjDirit of indignation 
aroused by this report was intense, and liad 
the threat been carried out there Avould have 
been a fight right then and there without the 
participation of the lioys in blue. And now 
with thanks for your patience, 1 can only say 
in conclusion what I have said in the begin- 
ning, that this is not intended as anything but 
what an individual Confederate observed and 
said, and that it has been written in the same 
spirit in which you asked for it, and that is the 
spirit of kindness and good will. 

I am, very truly yours, 

FlEI,DEil C. SLINGLIFK. 

As the responsibility for the destructiou 
of Chambersburg is placed upon General 
Hunter, because of his alleged destructive 
policy in tlie Valley of Virginia, justice 
to him as well as to the higli (Confederate 
authority by whom these charges are 



made, demands u fair uinl impuitiai con- 
sideration of the same. That by his au- 
thority and permission considerable de- 
struction of private property was wrought, 
is not denied. The facts related by Gen- 
eral Early, and referred to by Mr. Kling- 
lutl", and more lengthily and minutely set 
forth by General .1. D. Imboden, in an 
article contributed by him io Annuls of 
the Ti'ar, pages Itii)— 183, under the cap- 
tion, '•'•Fire, Sword and the Halter,'''' have 
been in part confirmed by Federal soldiers, 
who served under General Hunter and 
others who were cognizant of them. But 
while the fact of his retributive policy is 
not denied, it is claimed that a sufficient 
justification for the same was furnished in 
the following considerations: In no part 
of the South, perhaps, was the hostility to 
tlie Union so bitter and malignant as in 
the Valley of Virginia. With but few ex- 
ceptions the entire male population, capa- 
ble of bearing arms, were either in the 
Confederate army, or the secret emissaries 
of such as were thus engaged. The en- 
tire Valley was infested with guerrillas 
and bushwhackers who, during the day, 
assumed to be farmers and tradesmen, and 
at night carried on the nefarious work of 
waylaying straggling Feder:i,l soldiers and 
unprotected trains. Familiar with every 
foot of ground in the Valley, as well as 
with every mountain fastness, they stole 
upon their victims and then, under the 
cover of night, fled to places of safety. 
As one of the evidences of the facts stated 
I cite the following account of the massa- 
cre of six Federal soldiers by guerrillas, 
published in one of the papers of Martins- 
burg, West Virginia, in its issue of July 
23d, 1864, under the caption of ''A fiend- 
ish Act.'''' "Six Union soldiers were found 
strapped to a fence in the vicinity of 
Charlestown. having their throats cut 
from ear to ear. The fiendish act is sup- 
posed to have been the work of resident 
rebels, who are farmers and tradesmen du- 
ring the day and guerrillas at night. Vir- 
ginia swarms with men of this class, who 
have, ever ^illce tliecoininencement of the 
war, punsued a course of tliis kind, and 
who have committed deeds i-o fiendish in 
their character as to put to blush the dark- 
est and bloodiest deed.s of our Indian sav- 
ages. It is said that General Hunter is as 

mad as about this barbarous deed, and 

has arrested some sixty residents of the 
neighborhood in which these unfortunate 
men were found, and are now held in or- 
der, if possible, to ferret out the guilty 
parties and bring them to justice." 

It is also said that in addition to finding 
the form of a hand-bill in a printing es- 
tablishment in Lexington, Virginia, urg- 
ing the bushwhacking of Federal soldiers, 
and bearing Governor Letcher's signature, 



Reminiscences of the War. 



20 



clearly proving him to be the author of it, 
the house of this man was occupied by a 
sciuad of rebel sharpshooters, who fired 
from it and killed a number of General 
Hunter's men. It is the boast of our South- 
ern friends that Gen. Lee conducted his 
campaign in Pennsylvania upon humane 
principles, and that no wanton destruc- 
tion of property was made by his men. 
This is admitted ; but, on the other hand, 
there was no bushwhacking his men, nor 
no depredations committed upon his 
trains. Suppose he had found six of his 
soldiers massacred so inhumanly by citi- 
zens as were the six men of General Hun- 
ter's command near Charlestown, or the 
houses of our people used for sharpshoot- 
ers, before whose concealed aim numbers 
of his men had fallen, as was Governor 
Letcher's, would he not have pursued a 
different policy, and would not the laws of 
war and the sentiment of the civilized 
world have justified him in so doing V 
That a retributive policy would have been 
adopted and severe retaliation visited 
upon our people, is clear from a paragraph 
in General Order No. 49, found upon page 
51 of these reminiscences, and issued by 
Lieut. General Ewell, while in Chambers- 
burg. That paragraph is as follows : "Citi- 
zens of the county through which the 
army may pass, who are not in the mili- 
tars service, are admonished to abstain 
from all acts of hostility, ?<pori a penalty 
of being dealt loith in a summary man- 
ner.'''' The contrast then is not between the 
conduct of the army of General Lee in 
Pennsylvania and that of General Hunter 
in the Valley of Virginia, but between 
the conduct of the people in Pennsylvania 
and their treatment of the Confederate 
army, and the conduct of the people in the 
Valley and their treatment of the Federal 
army. 

The policy of the commanders of the 
Union armies operating in the Shenan- 
doah Valley, had been humane and len- 
ient, notwithstanding the bitterness and 
bushwhacking propensities of the people, 
but when General Hunter succeeded, he 
found the condition as stated, and adopted 
a difTerent policy. P'rom the time he 
assumed command in that department he 
gave evidence that he had decided convic- 
tions as to how to deal with such inveter- 
ate haters of the Tnion. He was convinc- 
ed that the mild and lenient course pur- 
sued by his predecessors had only increas- 
ed their bitterness, and emboldened them 
in their unwarranted methods of bush- 
whacking and murder ; and lie adopted 
the retaliatory policy which caused them 
to howl at and denounce him. In this, 
whether right or wrong, the circumstan- 
ces surrounding him must decide. He was, 
as in some othei- things, soniewliat in ad- 



vance of public sentiment and the senti- 
ment and conduct of other commanders, 
not only in his own, but in other 
departments, for at a later period Sheridan 
adopted a similar policy in the same local- 
ity, and Sherman in his march from 
Atlanta to the sea and subsequently 
through South Carolina. 

Admitting the fact that General Hunter 
did order or permit the destruction of 
large amounts of private property in the 
Shenandoah Valley, the question as to the 
right to retaliate upon the town of Cham- 
bersburg depends entirely upon whether 
or not he had sufficient and justifiable 
reasons therefor. If he had sufficient 
reason, then the destruction of Chambers- 
burg was extra-judicial and wholly un- 
justifiable; if he had not a sufficient 
reason, then truth requires that the 
destruction of our town was justifiable by 
the laws of war. In the absence of more 
precise and reliable information, I shall 
not. attempt to decide the question. 

The three following papers should have 
come in sooner in this appendix, but as 
they were received too late to be placed in 
their approprite places, and the subjects 
are of such importance that it is desirable 
that they be preserved, I give them place 
here. The first is from Lieut. James Pott, 
of Fulton county, and is as follows : 

MeCONNELLSBUEG, FULTON CC, PA., } 

October 7, 1884. S 

Mk. Jacob Hoke : — I have read with much 
interest your "Reminiscence of the "War," as 
published in Public Opinion. 

In your chapter (No 36) in the Opinion of 
4th instant, you advert to a second instance of 
"armed resistance to marauding parties of reb- 
els during the invasion," and you are evident- 
ly under the impi-ession that the affairs at Stras- 
burg Pass and Keefer's Gap are the only in- 
stances, but I can give you another that occur- 
red in this vicinity not, perhaps, quite of the 
same chai-acter, because it was not done direct- 
Ul in defence of hidden stock, but squarely 
against a full brigade of Lee's invading army 
under Gen. Stuart, composed of cavaliy, in- 
fantry and artillerj', as it crossed the Cove 
mountain from Mercersburg to McConneils- 
burg. I have lost the date of this occurrence, 
but it was a few days before ('apt. Jones' bril- 
liant little tight and victory, but little 
more than a mile from the place where about 
forty of us attacked Stuart's whole brigade — 
a foolhardy undertaking as everybody pro- 
nounced it. 

Tlie case, as brietiy stated as possible, is this : 
There were at the time in this vicinity, a full 
regiTuent of Emergency men under Col. Zinn, 
if Tny memory is not at fault; the 12th Penn- 
sylvania cavalry under Col. I^Ioss, and an in- 
dependent "Emergency" company from Hunt- 
ingdon, under Captain Wallace. 

Captain Wallace had left more than lialf his 
men for duty at Fort Lyttleton and Burnt ('ab- 
ins and these, while scouting across the moun- 
tain toward Fanneftsburg, encountereiia scpiad 



?o8 



Reminiscences of the War. 



of marauding rebels and had abrusli with 
them, one of the Union soldiers getting wound- 
ed. Captain Wallace with about 20 or 25 of his 
men was at McConnelLsburg at the time of the 
fracas 1 am relating. 

Col. Zinn's regiment was encamped on top of 
the CoA'e mountain on both the Chambersburg 
and Mercersburg pikes, with a very strong nat- 
ural position. Col. Moss, with the 12th Penn- 
sylvania cavalry, strong, and of good material, 
was encamped in the valley, east of ^fcCon- 
nellsburg. 

This was the situation when a scout brought 
the word that Gen. Stuart, with his rebel bri- 
gade, was advancing by the Mercersburg pike. 
At once all was excitement. Captain Wallace 
prepared at once to go with his handfuU of men 
to join Col. Zinn on the top of the mountain, 
and T hurriedly gathered about 20 men, armed 
with muskets from the armory of the old ante- 
bellum volunteer company, and with these T 
joined Capt. Wallace and we started for the top 
of the mountain. 

We supposed, of course. Col. Moss would 
take his fine regiment out to help dispute the 
passage with the rebels, but he looked uj) the 
mountain and then, amid the imprecations and 
curses of many of his men, he headed them to 
tlie west and got out of harms way as fast as 
possible. One of his men, however, Lieut. Mc- 
Donald, swore he was not going to run away, 
and did remain. 

When Captain Wallac* and myself, with our 
company, reached the foot of the mountain avc 
met Col. Zinn with his full regiment, bag and 
baggage, coming pell-mell down the mountain. 
Captain Wallace hailed the Colonel and begged 
him to turn back and resist the passage of the 
enemy. Col. Zinn refused and ordered his reg- 
iment onward on the retreat, amid many lusty 
curses from many of his men, although none 
of them cared to join Captain Wallace, who 
said he was determined to go and meet the en- 
emy, and so on we hastened, with Lieut. Mc- 
Donald acting as scout to inform us of the 
whereabouts of the rebels. 

When our scout first saw the enemy he was 
well down on the east side of the mountain, so 
that Col. Zinn had plenty of time to have post- 
ed his men strongly, and if Col. Moss had come 
to his support, that Rebel Brigade would not 
have crossed that mountain that day, and not 
likely any subsequent day. 

After pressing on up the mountain. Captain 
Wallace selected a place and posted his two 
score of men to resist 2,500 well organized, well 
disciplined troops. Lieut. ISIcDonald kept us 
informed of ihe approach. At the proper time 
Captain Wallace was to give the signal by fir- 
ing his pistol. Some impetuous fellow jirema- 
tnrely discharged his musket and partly spoil- 
ed our plan, and revealed our presence a little 
too soon. However, we gave them several 
rounds and did some execution. 

Immediately on the discharge of tliat pi-ema- 
ture gun, the Johnnies threw out flank.sers which 
came very near entrapping all of us, but we 
all escaped and not one of us was hurt, al- 
though volley after volley was rained in among 
\is, but mostly over our heads. 

This attack delayed the invading column 
about three hours; and if our forty or fifty men 
could check and retard twenty-five hundred 



for that space, what might not the two regi- 
ments, that ran away, have done if they had 
made a determined stand in so naturally a 
strong position as the summit of the Cove 
(North) mountain ? If they had done so, 
there would be a page in the history of the late 
war recording the battle of Xorth 3Iountaiti, 
among Lee's invasions, as a twin to the battle 
of South Mountain. The foregoing then is the 
third instance of armed resistance made by cit- 
ticns to the invading forces — for half of these 
men with Captain Wallace were citizens. 

In my escape from that "scrimmage," my 
course was aivay from my home, as the enemy 
had interposed himself in my path, and that 
night I laid on top of the mountain. Next 
day in my eftbrts to get to IMcConnellsburg, I 
was "caught up" by a cavalry picket guai'd on 
top of the mountain, on the Chambersburg 
l>ike, and was held a prisoner. The squad was 
of the 1st Maryland, rebel regiment, and I must 
say, in candor, that they w^ere gentlemen and 
treated me courteously. They never suspected 
me being one of the bitsfiwhacker^ of the day 
before, else the treatment would have been oth- 
erwise. Although my enforced sojourn with 
my new-found friends (!) was not wholly en- 
joyable, yet wliile sitting with them on the 
mountain top, looking down on the rebel bri- 
gade in and around McConnellsburgon the one 
hand, and into the Cumberland Valley, occu- 
pied by Lee's army on the other, we twitted 
each other on the prospect around us, and I 
was compelled to admit that I had viewed that 
scene often before under more auspicious cir- 
cumstances, and when I. said that in two weeks 
time I would do so again, it raised a shout of 
derisive laughter from twenty-five rebel throats 
around me. My prediction was correct, and I 
had full faith in it when I made it. I could relate 
many interesting incidents of my one day's 
captivity, but space will not permit, nor is it 
pertinent to this article. 

Respectfully yours, 

James Pott. 

The lolJowing interesting statement of 
the capture of some of the citizens of Fay- 
etteville has been furnished by Rev. Mr. 
Detrich : 

Heabquakter.s N. W. Brio a UK. ^ 

In the field, Adams Co., ]*a., > 

July M, M^aX > 

Pickets and (iuards will pass Rev. W. R. H. 
Detrich, J. Foreman, Samuel Disert, Casper 
Black, .1. R. Bixler, J. N. Baxter, J. C. Brown, 
Henry Dome, G. W. Harmon, William Itu- 
pert, Isaac Millhorn, P. Martin, William Dan- 
iels, Cyrus Bachman, John Crawford and 
James Maloy, to their homes in Fayetteville, 
Pa. 

\V. J. Hi'j.t., 
A. D. C. Otii. of the Day. 

The above is a true copy of a Pass which I 
have in my possession as a souvenir of the late 
war. 1 have it pasted on the inside of the right 
lid of my "Biblia Polyglotta," because of the 
sacred associations which cluster in and around 
it. What anxious hours, what watchings by 
the light of the silvery moon, what rackings of 
the brain, what hopes deferred, and fears in- 



Reminiscences of the War. 



209 



tensified,'are called up by this paper, written 
twenty-one years ago, on the Battlefield of 
Gettysburg, I need not refer to in this pen 
sketch. I prefer to write of the humorous side 
now that the gates of Janus are closed, and 
"age-dimmed eyes are made dimmer by the 
gathering of tears." 

The main portion of the Confederate army, 
under General K. E. Lee, had passed Fayette- 
ville on the way to Gettysburg. On the morn- 
ing of July the 1st, General Imboden with his 
cavalry and mounted infantry passed through 
and encamped at Greenwood, near the base of 
the South Mountain. About noon of the same 
day a lone Confederate soldier rode into Fay- 
etteville and was passing through in the direc- 
tion of Chambersburg, when he was halted by 
a citizen, and compelled to surrender, which 
he did by handing over a small pouch of letters. 
The courage of the citizen then failed him, and 
he allowed the soldier to return to his camp, 
near Greenwood. The capture of the letters 
was reported, and in a brief time a detachment 
of cavalry under command of Capt. McNeil, of 
Virginia, rode into Fayetteville, arresting 
every man on the street. This is how we came 
to be ai-rested for "robbing the Confederate 
dispatches." We were picked up and hurried 
away piece-meal. I was arrested at my resi- 
dence, at the extreme end of Fayetteville, and 
marched on foot through the whole length of 
the town — "a town of magnificent distances" — 
between two cavalrymen, who rode fiery 
steeds. From an upper window Miss Lottie 
Greenavvalt, now Mrs. Renfrew, called to me : 
"I will go and remain with Mrs. D. till you 
return." Those were happy words, and even 
now I can hear her speak them. At Green- 
wood we prisoners faced each other. We were 
placed under the Grand Guard, commanded by 
Lieut. A. D. Woodly, of Augusta, Va., and 
taken to the school house, in Greenwood, for 
safe keeping. It was while in the school 
house that the wife of James Black, Esq., pre- 
pared us a nice supper, but which the hungry 
guard ate. We tendered her a vote of thanks, 
and, to this day, have not forgotten her kind- 
ness. The army of General Imboden was 
made up of cavalry and mounted infantry, 
with the exceiDtion of one company, which 
composed what was called by the soldiers, the 
"Grand Guard." 

As night approached there was an order to 
"rest on the guns." The cannon pointed to- 
wards Chambersburg, Fear took possession of 
the prisoners — none of us had ever seen a bat- 
tle. We resolved to remain together, and, if 
need be, to die together. One i>risoner whis- 
pered in my ear: "Pray for me." Another 
one said : "I would give $500 if I were home. 
Do you think the battle will be before mid- 
night?" Besides ourselves there were seven 
of General Milroy's men, six negroes and two 
Confederate soldiers under the Grand Guard. 
At ten o'clock there was an order to advance 
to the front. We were ordered from the school 
house and put in line of march. To me this 
was new business. Through the "narrows" 
we had to march single file in orderto make 
room for the cavalry and artillery. We would 
kick each oth(!r on the heels. It is said that 
many years ago a Major in the liegular Army 
was employed to drill a company of militia for 



an approaching "Battalion Parade." He had 
trouble in getting the men to understand the 
command : "Itight foot. Left foot." On this 
command he could not enlighten them, when a 
new idea occurred to his mind. He fastened 
hay on the right foot and straw on the left, and 
then gave the command : "Hay foot, Straic 
foot." So I thought it should have been with 
us, on that memorable night, when we march- 
ed through the "narrows." We marched from 
Greenwood to "Corwell's Tavern," near Cash- 
town, in Adams county, only resting once. 
Many, indeed, were the humorous incidents 
that took place on the march, and in the field. 
Time would fail me in even referring to them. 

We were cut off from all the world, except 
the great battle going on in our midst, and of 
this we knew but little. Through ignorance of 
what was going on, whether good or bad, our 
life was greatly perplexed, and we caught our- 
self repeating : "My kingdom for a daily news- 
paper." For sixty hours we h:id nothing to 
eat, and yet we hungered more for neivs than 
for bread. One thought had taken hold upon 
our minds — we had "Libby on the brain." A 
defeat, a retreat, and "Libby," "only this and 
nothing more." I was chosen out of the party 
to call on General Imboden and urge upon 
him a speedy release or a trial. The Lieuten- 
ant of the Guard accompanied me to his head- 
quarters, which was under a chestnut tree, on 
the battle field. His reception was not marked 
by any degree of cordiality — it was unflatter- 
ing and the outlook unpi-omisiug. He thought 
liangirtfi the best thing for me. I thought not, 
as i was too heavy to hang, weighing at the 
time 225 pounds. It is not safe for a man of 
that weight to hang, and when I so intimated 
he had to smile. This inspired in me a desire 
for another interview, which resulted difi'er- 
ently. I was received with great cordiality, 
and oftered an immediate release. This I 
politely refused to accept, unless the other 
prisoners be treated in like manner. I finally 
succeeded. The prisoners were watching for 
my return at the headquarters of the Grand 
Guard, and when they saw my lit up counte- 
nance they caught the spirit of freedom and 
tears flowed from eyes unused to weep. L'^p to 
this moment all had been vain conjecture and 
desperate uncertainty, and Piozzi has well 
said : "Uncertainty is miserable slavery." I 
wish to record, at this point, that Lieut. A. D. 
AVoodly acted towards us the part of a good sol- 
dier and a perfect gentleman. He was as 
brave as the steel which hung at his side. 

When I related to my comi)anions the suc- 
cess I met witl), and that in a few hours we 
should be on our homeward way, I was made 
to realize that joy never feasts so high as 
when the first course is of misery. Happier 
men I never saw, and — I was the happiest of 
them all. In returning home we got a little 
mixed with Lee's retreating army — we had 
cannon to the right of us, and we had cannon 
to the left of us — we had cannon jireceding us, 
and we had cannon following us, nevertheless, 

Boldly we walked, and well. 

We could not keep up with the old men of 
our party. Every man is a book, if you know 
how to read him — no one could read the fathers 



2IO 



Reminiscences of the War. 



that afternoon, and no on« jiretentled to read 
them. It is a beautiful sijjht to see old men, as 
I saw them, cheerful, kind and sunshiny — 
childhood itself is scarcely more lovely. They 
ran, they danced, they sang, they did the fun- 
niest things, and tired not. Foreman was 
ahead, never minding the rheumatism of yes- 
terday. Black was never so erect as he walked 
along with a firm and elastic step. Martin 
was never so funny as he "walked the moun- 
tain up." Maloy, who had followed us to 
Greenwood to protest our innocence, kne.w we 
would not be taken to "Libby" — he had a reve- 
lation we would reach home that day. Craw- 
ford's joy was pensive. Baxter's solemn mein 
was relaxed, and he clapped his hands for joy. 
Kuiiert's pain in his back was clean gone, but 
he was hungry and this annoyed him. Bixler 
had just left the feet of Hahnemann, where he 
had completed his .studies in Materia Medica. 
He was a handsome blonde with a delicate mus- 
tache, twisted out to points. When a "reb" 
charged him with having two mice in his 
mouth he mildly denied the charge. The 
"reb" said : "You can't deny it. I see their 
tails." The "rebs" enjoyed the .«ight of my 
stove-pipe hat. They knew I was a clergyman, 
but they were no respecter of per.jons. They 
fancied I was not delicate enough to be a par- 
son. More than once they called out : "Hat, 
where are youtakingthat man." Others said : 
"Yank, come down out o' that hat — you 
needn't say I ain't in it, I see your feet hang- 
ing out." In this way I might go on consum- 
ing time and paper. But suffice it to say that 
after a long and weary fast we reached 
"Graefenberg Springs," kept at that time by 
ex-Sheriff Benjamin Shriver, of Adams county, 
who took us in»^o a private apartment of his 
well ordered house and gave us apple-buttered 
bread and dry beef. Hunger is a good cook, 
and no sumptuous meal ever tasted half so 
well. 

Of the battle I need not write. This has been 
done by other and abler pens, but to have been 
there and witnessed it was to have witnessed 
the grandest, the most sublime sight ever 
afforded to mortal man. General Humphreys 
in his address, at the Meade Memorial Meeting, 
in Philadelphia, among other things, said : 
"The sights and sounds of a great battle arouse 
a feeling of exultation, compared to which tame 
indeed is the sense of the sublime excited by 
all other great works, either of God or man. 
No grander sight was seen throughout the war 
than the great Battle of Gettysburg, between 
two brave, well-disciplined and ably command- 
ed armies." 

On our safe arrival in Fayetteville, on the 
afternoon of the 3d day of July, the citizens 
turned out en masse and gave us a public 
reception. The memory of past favors is like 
the rainbow, bright, vivid, beautiful ; but 
unlike the rainbow memory does not fade 
away. Here I lay down my pen, but my 
thoughts run on. 

Yours Fraternally, 

Wm. R. H. Deatrich, 
To J. Hoke, Esq., Newport, Pa. 

Chambersburg, Pa. 



In the following paper Dr. H. R. Fetter- 
hoff throws light upon the disputed ques- 
tion as to Gen. Averill's whereabouts dur- 
ing the night previous to the burning of 
Chambersburg. The doctor was resident 
telegraph operator at Greencastle at the 
time, and knows whereof he speaks. 

Baltimore, Md., Oct. 17th, 1884. 

Jacob Hoke, Esq., Dear Sir: — Your com- 
munication of the 15th inst. is to hand enclos- 
ing statements of Messrs. T. R. Bard and W. 
A. Reid in regard to Gen. Averill's wherea- 
bouts and condition on the night previous to 
the burning of Chambersburg and on the mor- 
ning of tne ensuing day, July 30tn, 1864. You 
ask what information I can give as to the cor- 
rectness of the two seemingly conflicting state- 
ments. In reply I would say that Mr. Bard's 
statement is very nearly correct in every par- 
ticular, a few items only differing somewhat as 
they occurred to me. 

At the time these events transpired I was 
telegraph operator at Greencastle and had the 
means of knowing what was going on general- 
ly. In the evening of Friday, July 29th, 1864, 
about 8 o'clock. General Aveiill's command 
passed through Greencastle on their way from 
Hagerstown towards Chambersburg and biv- 
oucked a short distance north of the town along 
the road leading to the latter place. If my mem- 
ory serves me right Gen. Averill reported his 
arrival to Gen. Couch at Chambersburg. At 
least I so reported it to Mr. \V. B. Gilmore, op- 
erator at that place. The General sent three or 
four orderlies to my office and informed me of 
his whereabouts. Mr. D. C. Aughinbaugh, op- 
erator at Hagerstown, Mr. T. R. Bard, and I 
think several other persons from that place, 
were at the office in the evening and at inter- 
vals during the night. The scouts reported 
that the rebels had built camp-tires in the 
neighborhood of State Line, four miles South 
of Greencastle, and it was supposed that they 
had encamped there for the night. About mid- 
night, or perhaps a little later, Mr. Gilmore in- 
formed me that the telegraph lines west of 
Chambersburg on the Pittsburg turnpike had 
been cut, showing that the rebels after building 
the camp-tires at the State Line as a blind had 
moved in the direction of Upton and Bridge- 
port on iieneral Averill's right Hank. I imme- 
diately informed General Averill of this fact 
when he sent me a message thanking me for 
the information, and requesting me to keep him 
posted in regard to any information I might 
obtain. About 1 o'clock, A. M., July 30th, 
General Couch sent an order to General Aver- 
ill directing him to "Move onto Chambersburg 
at once." I immediately sent this message 
with an orderly, but never heard from hira 
again. In about a half hour General Couch 
repeated the message in the same words, and I 
sent another orderly with the message, but still 
no answer. The same order was repeated about 
every half hour until my orderlies were all 
gone and 1 had no one to carry the last mes- 
sage, when Mr. Bard came to the office and vol- 
unteered to deliver it. After searching for Gen- 
eral Averill and finding him he delivered the 
message. I then learned that when I had sent 
General Averill the information that the rebels 



Reminiscences of the War. 



211 



were in his rear or on his flank, he moved his 
headquarters from the rear of his line, where 
it had been, up into the line without informing 
the orderlies, or auy one else, consequently no 
one knew where to find him, and the messages 
had not been delivered and only reached him 
near 4 o'clock, when Mr. Bard delivered them. 

The rebels entered Chambersburg about this 
time and Mr. Gilmore bid me "good bye," and 
left the office. Telegraphic communications 
having been cut off, and not wishing to be cap- 
tured, General Averill's command took up 
their march for Chambersburg by way of Green- 
wood and Fayetteville. Messrs. Bard and A. 
F. Schafhirt and myself — two in a buggy and 
one on horseback, interchaugeably, started with 
a squad of cavalry — not belonging to Averill's 
command — with Lieut. Jones in command, and 
went by Quiucy andFunkstown to Greenwood, 
where we came in sight of General Averill's 
troops moving from that place towards Fay- 
etteville and Chambersburg. But before we 
reached Greenwood, we discovered the smoke 
ascending from the burning town. Not wish- 
ing to run into danger we left the cavalry es- 
cort at Greenwood and went to Graeffenberg 
Springs Hotel, and not being able to obtain 
any information we went on to Gettysburg in 
the afternoon, reaching that place in the even- 
ing, and there learned that Chambersburg had 
been burned. On the following morning, Sun- 
day, we made an early start for home and 
found the smouldering ruins of the town. Mr. 
Schafhirt and I went on to Greencastle that ev- 
ening, and Mr. Bard, I think, remained in 
C b am be rs b urg. 

General Averill's troops were very much fa- 
tigued when they reached Greencastle, but af- 
ter .some hours rest would have been fully able 
to have gone on to Chambersburg as ordered by 
General Couch and saved the town had he in- 
formed us where to find him when he moved 
his headqurters. 

Yours truly, 

H. E. Fettekhoff, M. D. 

Dr. Felterhoff's account suggests the 
following : 



1. The statements of Mr. Bard and Mr. 
Reid are in the oaain both sustained by 
the fact supplied by the doctor, that Gen- 
eral Averill moved his headquarsers some- 
time that night tvithout letting either his 
staff, his orderlies or any one the know 
where to find him. Why the General was 
guilty of this grave oversight under such 
critical circumstances, remains yet to be 
explained. Chambersburg owes its de- 
struction, in all probability, to this over- 
sight. 

2. General McCausland's command came 
direct through Clearspring, Mercersburg, 
Bridgeport and St. Thomas to this place. 
It must have been a detachment from 
General Vaughan's command at Hagers- 
town which lit their camp-fires at State 
Line'and not from McCausland's as the 
Doctor supposed. 

3. The squad of cavalry with which the 
Doctor, Mr. BardandMr. Schafhirt passed 
on to Quincy, Funkstown and Greenwood 
on Saturday morning, were no doubt some 
of the stragglers • from Cole's Maryland 
Regiment, who were scattered from" Ha- 
gerstown by Vaughan's force on Friday 
afternoon. 

With this number my Reminiscences 
close. I began these researches under the 
impression that I would be able to tell the 
reader all I knew, and could ascertain 
concerning the war, in ten or twelve arti- 
cles. They have extended to forty-one. 
And instead of confining myself to a nar- 
ration of incidents in and about Cham- 
bersburg, as the title indicates, I have giv- 
en, in the main, a history of the War 
upon the whole Southern border, and res- 
cued from oblivion an immense amount of 
historic matter, which may be of interest 
to the generations yet to come. 



CONTENTS. 

Page. 

Introditction, by A. K. McClure, Esq., 3 

Chapter I.— Commencement of the War, and Marching of 

Troops from Chambersburg 7 

Chapter II.— The Roll of Honor ; or the Names of those who 
first flew to the Rescue* of their Imperilled Country from 

Franklin County 10 

Chapter III.— Camp Slifer 12 

Chapter IV.— General Patterson's Campaign 15 

Chapter V. — Organization of the 126th Regiment; Fugitives 

from Slavery 18 

Chapter VI.— Chambersburg under Martial Law ; Visit to 

the Battle Field of South Mountain ; Battle of Antietam. . 22 

Chapter VII.— Stuart's Raid 28 

Chapter VIII.— Jenkins' Raid 33 

Chapter IX. — The Invasion of Pennsylvania 41 

Chapter X.— The Great Train of Wounded from Gettysburg. 84 

Chapter XI. — Scouting service 92 

Chapter XII.— After the Battle of Gettysburg ; Early's Raid 

into Maryland 99 

Chapter XIII. — The Burning of Chambersburg 104 

Chapter XIV. — Responsibility for the Burning of Chambers- 
burg 131 

Chapter XV.— List of Buildings Destroyed 137 

Chapter XVI. — Caught within the Confederate lines, and 

what came of it 140 

Chapter XVII.— Angels of Mercy in the Hospitals 166 

Chapter XVIII.— The Nation's Shrine, or Three Visits to 

Gettysburg ." 171 

Appendix 177 



